At the same time.
Near the stands by the playground.
Wu Chuntian stood in front of her DSLR camera, capturing shots of the playground’s exterior.
She quickly popped her head out from behind the camera and glanced toward the small gate.
At the same moment.
She whispered quietly to Lv Rou beside her:
“Rou Rou... enemies meet on a narrow road.”
Lv Rou: “!!!”
From the subtle expression flickering across Wu Chuntian’s face,
Lv Rou immediately caught on to the meaning.
She followed over to the camera, adjusting the lens to track focus,
Until Lin Yu’s smiling face appeared in the frame…
A fresh wave of nervous tension surged in Lv Rou’s chest!
Ever since the movie ended and Lin Yu promised to have dinner with them but disappeared without a word,
Lv Rou and Wu Chuntian had taken turns sending him numerous messages.
During that time,
Lin Yu only replied a few times with vague, perfunctory words.
Each message was no longer than five characters, never mentioning the important content stored on his phone.
Meanwhile, the two girls had been constantly on edge,
Worried that Lin Yu might lose his mind and suddenly post their secret to the class group chat.
Unexpectedly,
Lin Yu, who they had been trying to arrange a meeting with, appeared so coincidentally at the school playground.
Lv Rou and Wu Chuntian exchanged a glance.
Their eyes simultaneously flicked toward the two roommates nearby.
The meaning was crystal clear.
If their roommates stayed on the playground, they would miss the chance to confront Lin Yu face to face.
They certainly didn’t want their embarrassing secrets known by others.
The closer the relationship on the surface, the more they dreaded their secrets being exposed.
Their entire dorm had gotten up so early today to complete the project for the short semester.
Among the tasks was capturing plenty of B-roll footage.
The playground was nearly empty in the early morning, making it perfect to showcase the entire scene.
That was why
They had gathered here, holding the rented DSLR camera to shoot.
After Lv Rou and Wu Chuntian silently made their decision, they immediately began their two-person act.
Lv Rou: “I think we’ve got enough B-roll footage, right?”
Wu Chuntian: “Yeah, we only need less than ten seconds anyway. How about we head back early?”
Roommate A: “We spent a lot renting the equipment. Is this all we’re shooting this morning?”
Roommate B: “I think we should shoot a bit more. Since we’re already up early, why not film for another ten minutes?”
From the roommates’ perspective,
Their questions were perfectly reasonable.
The rental cost was split equally among everyone.
If they felt the footage wasn’t enough and wanted to keep shooting, they had every right to say so openly.
...
By the small gate,
Lin Yu overheard every word of the girls’ conversation.
Judging from the movement of the DSLR lens just now,
It was obvious that Lv Rou and Wu Chuntian had spotted him.
It seemed there was no need for Lin Yu to take the initiative to approach them.
If he waited patiently, the two girls would come to him on their own.
Stepping onto the running track inside the playground,
Mao Ruirui placed two bottles of water she had brought in their usual spot and started running alongside Lin Yu.
Not even a hundred meters in,
Mao Ruirui took the initiative to start a conversation:
“Xiao Yu, I often come here for a run and noticed there are lots of places nearby to eat and have fun.”
“What do you usually like to do? Do you have any hobbies you’ve stuck with for years?”
Ruirui’s style of conversation was really just...
Waking up in the morning, embracing the sun, feeling full of positive energy.
Although it wasn’t exactly a date, at least the two of them were alone together.
Surprisingly, they were still talking about such positive and healthy topics.
When faced with such everyday questions, what would be the right answer?
Lin Yu was naturally well practiced.
He responded smoothly:
“I’m actually a pretty boring person. I love running and reading books the most.”
“Sometimes I play table tennis, but there’s no one to play with me.”
“Recently, I bought a DSLR camera and want to develop a new hobby.”
“I think photography…”
“Is something you can do alone, unlike other hobbies that need someone else to join.”
[ Ding! ]
[ Impressive move! A sincere and genuine answer that makes the Spirit Beast Garden elders look at the Holy Son with newfound respect! ]
[ Reward: 20 Spirit Stones ]
He subtly signaled that he usually acts alone.
This perfectly struck a chord with Mao Ruirui’s heart.
From Lin Yu’s observations,
Mao Ruirui’s daily routine rarely involved group entertainment.
On the day of the apartment gathering,
Mao Ruirui didn’t even attend because of matters at her shop.
It’s clear
she considers “kindred spirits” to be a certain type of guy.
“Maybe it’s because you’re young, Lin Yu, but actually…”
“Most of the time, I’m alone.”
“Being alone for so long, you gradually get used to it.”
“Sometimes, you even get a little scared… scared that someone might suddenly barge into your life.”
Mao Ruirui spoke while carefully watching Lin Yu’s expression.
After saying this, she immediately regretted it.
How stupid of me!
Was this really the right time to say those things?
Hadn’t she already started trying to let… Lin Yu into her life?
Saying this now
was basically sending a signal to push him away.
“Ruirui,”
Lin Yu’s sudden voice made Mao Ruirui startle.
“Huh? Actually, just now…”
“That was just my personal thought.”
“How you live your life is something only you can decide.”
Mao Ruirui tried to backtrack.
She hoped Lin Yu wouldn’t affirm what she’d just said.
If he did,
it would mean living “alone” is perfectly fine, and no one should come to disturb her!
“Ruirui, if you have time…”
“Would you and your pet be willing to be my models?”
“I don’t feel comfortable asking anyone else in the apartment besides Aunt Qimeng.”
“But somehow, talking to you makes me feel at ease.”
[ Ding! ]
[ Brilliant move! A declaration of a confidante that shocks and delights the Spirit Beast Garden elders! ]
[ Reward: 20 Spirit Stones ]
Mao Ruirui: “!!!”
She never expected
Lin Yu would take the initiative to say something like that to her.
Overjoyed, she could hardly believe her own ears.
“Of course, no problem!”
“Anytime, really. If I’m not at the apartment, I’m definitely at the shop!”
“Besides these two places, I hardly go anywhere else.”
Mao Ruirui answered enthusiastically.
This response was exactly what Lin Yu had anticipated.
Yet, the expected sound of the soul cultivator’s test mission completion didn’t come.
Looks like just saying it isn’t enough!
“Lin Yu? What a coincidence! You’re out running too?”
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
