After shouting for a while, no one came out.
Tang Yimian anxiously searched around again.
But still, not a single soul was in sight.
With a frown, Tang Yimian regrouped with Lin Yu, and they both shook their heads.
"Junior Lin Yu, could this be an abandoned gas station?"
The answer was obvious—no need to even ask.
It seemed that, subconsciously, Tang Yimian was preparing to trap the two of them in this desolate no-man's-land.
Their only hope turned out to be an abandoned, unmanned gas station.
Such a minor issue was nothing for Lin Yu.
He picked up the nearby fuel gun, ran his fingers over the nozzle, and said,
"Maybe the person running the station just stepped out for a bit. There's still gas here."
"How about we fill up first and leave the cash we owe?"
Tang Yimian’s gift of gab found another opportunity to shine:
"But we’ve already spent all our cash! What do we do now?"
"If we take the gas without paying, wouldn’t that count as theft?"
"Stealing someone else’s property is wrong, don’t you think?"
"Junior Lin Yu, maybe we should just wait here a little longer."
"Who knows? Someone might come back soon."
"That little convenience store up ahead seems empty too."
"I just can’t get past the guilt. What if the owner returns while we’re fueling up? How would we explain ourselves?"
"... (a thousand words of nervous rambling omitted) ..."
Lin Yu: "..."
Such noble principles!
On the brink of dying in the wilderness, and she’s still hung up on moral boundaries.
At least this was "wilderness fiction," not "apocalyptic fiction."
If Tang Yimian were tossed into a post-apocalyptic world, with her mindset, she wouldn’t survive past Chapter 2.
Did a dream really need to be this strict?
At this critical moment, it fell to Lin Yu to patch up the dream’s plot holes.
He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a thick stack of hundred-yuan bills.
"Lucky me, I still have some cash left."
"Should be around... ten or twenty thousand here?"
Tang Yimian’s eyes widened: "???"
Then—
"Bzzz… bzzz…"
A faint buzzing noise echoed in Lin Yu’s mind.
Lin Yu: "!!!"
A warning sign—the dream was destabilizing?
It was subtle, but unmistakable.
Lin Yu quickly added:
"This is the advance I just got for my writing this week. I figured cash might come in handy during the trip, so I withdrew it beforehand."
As soon as he said it, the faint buzzing faded away.
Lin Yu exhaled in relief, glancing at Tang Yimian.
Too close.
Thankfully, he’d reacted fast enough with a plausible excuse.
Otherwise, after all that effort, the dream would’ve shattered before they got anywhere!
Just one tiny, slightly illogical detail had nearly made Tang Yimian realize she was dreaming.
Since when were web novel heroines this sharp with logic?
This was a wake-up call for Lin Yu.
From now on, he had to make sure everything played out more convincingly.
Otherwise, tonight’s dream infiltration would be a wasted effort.
"That’s amazing, Junior Lin Yu!"
"So that’s how it is. Thank goodness you’re here with me."
"Let’s use your cash to pay, and I’ll transfer my share to you later."
Lin Yu politely declined, but in the end, couldn’t stop Tang Yimian from sending the money.
Not that he didn’t want to—he just didn’t dare drag it out.
They had bigger priorities.
No time to waste on trivialities.
This wasn’t exactly a stable dreamscape.
Lin Yu’s minimum goal for tonight was to close the emotional distance between them—just enough to strike decisively next time.
After refueling, Lin Yu and Tang Yimian "shopped" for supplies, again leaving cash behind.
Clearly, his senior was starving and parched.
She downed three bottles of water, two packs of bread, and a bag of instant noodles before finally sighing in satisfaction.
To avoid raising suspicion, Lin Yu matched her pace, eating and drinking just as much.
Once they loaded the remaining supplies into the car, it was time for the main event!
Lin Yu wiped the sweat from his brow and dusted off his clothes.
While Tang Yimian looked fresh and clean, Lin Yu’s dream-world outfit was pure "desert chic."
But that worked in his favor.
At least it gave him the perfect excuse for what came next.
"Senior, I checked that little motel over there."
"They’ve got showers inside."
"The next stop with supplies might not come until we’re out of this wasteland."
"With all this sand and wind, driving could take days."
"Why don’t we wash off the dust and rest up a bit?"
"Who knows? Maybe the gas station owner will return, and we can ask if there’s a shortcut."
"Even if no one shows, we’ll at least be in better shape before hitting the road again."
"What do you think? Makes sense, right?"
Lin Yu’s lengthy pitch was packed with reasons Tang Yimian couldn’t refuse.
She glanced at the shipping-container-turned-motel and hesitated.
She’d seen the interior earlier.
The so-called shower was just a black water bag mounted on the roof, with a hose leading to a showerhead inside.
As for accommodations?
A bed, a table, and a temporary lamp—that was it.
In the middle of nowhere, you couldn’t afford to be picky.
But taking turns showering with Junior Lin Yu in there…
Awkward much?
But if she let him go in alone…
That’d be worse.
Like she was disgusted by him or something.
So torn!
Lin Yu could guess what she was thinking.
But he also knew her weakness—
Tang Yimian was… a goddess of soft-heartedness!
So—
Thwap! Thwap!
He exaggeratedly slapped his clothes, sending sand flying everywhere.
"It’s fine, Senior. If you’re uncomfortable or think it’s too rough, we can just leave."
"I can tough it out. No big deal."
Then he flashed her a polite, understanding smile.
Nothing was more lethal than weaponized sincerity.
Instantly, Tang Yimian’s resolve hardened.
“Junior Lin Yu, of course I’m not being picky!”
"In a place like this, finding any shower is a miracle."
"Let’s go. We’ll rest inside for a few hours—I saw a chair besides the bed."
"Then we’ll drive out refreshed!"
...
(Second update today. More coming soon! If you’re enjoying this, check the author’s profile for discussion channels. Welcome!)
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
