Hearing Lin Yu's words, Chi Qingshui's eyes instantly lit up.
That tone of voice—
Didn't it imply a chance for reconciliation?
Chi Qingshui could no longer cling to her pride or aloofness. She quickly followed Lin Yu's lead and continued:
"It's true! You might have been too far away to hear me clearly at the time."
"I really did say that, and I said it firmly, without any hesitation."
"I thought to myself, since those guys probably saw us together anyway..."
"But they shouldn’t go around spreading rumors. Causing trouble would only backfire on them."
"Oh, and Lin Yu, I also want to thank you for stepping in when they tried to snatch my phone."
"I saw it! I know it was you who threw that stone to help me out..."
"So, let’s not let them ruin our mood anymore, okay?"
By the end, Chi Qingshui couldn’t help but lower her head.
No matter how you looked at it,
Lin Yu was innocent in this whole mess.
They had all been in such high spirits, going out together to take photos,
only for a few shameless jerks to ruin everything.
Lin Yu turned to face Chi Qingshui directly,
opening his arms in response:
"Of course! If you’re in trouble, who else would help you if not me?"
"Honestly, I already knew you must’ve clarified things with Shi Yanhai earlier."
"You just got caught up in the heat of the moment and couldn’t control your emotions."
"I’m sorry for taking my frustration out on you."
Chi Qingshui shook her head repeatedly, her cheeks puffing up as her eyes reddened.
Like an obedient kitten, she quickly buried herself in Lin Yu’s embrace,
holding him tightly while still shaking her head.
"No, no... It’s not your fault, not your fault at all..."
Listening to his flustered little girlfriend,
Lin Yu could tell her reaction stemmed from how much she cared.
So, she hadn’t blamed him for getting angry—
she just wanted to clear things up as soon as possible and move past it.
With one hand holding their belongings and the other gently stroking her hair,
Lin Yu murmured,
"Such a happy day shouldn’t be spoiled by tears."
"Seeing you cry breaks my heart."
"Alright, alright, it’s over now. Consider this our first little fight after getting together."
"Couples argue all the time—don’t dwell on it."
Chi Qingshui nuzzled against him, quickly wiping away the few tears that had escaped.
Only after composing herself did she lift her head, gazing tenderly into Lin Yu’s eyes:
"Really? It’s really over, right?"
"Then from now on, neither of us brings it up again—no holding grudges!"
With that,
she raised her right hand, sticking out just her pinky finger in the classic "pinky promise" gesture.
Lin Yu hooked his pinky with hers, both chanting the nostalgic childhood rhyme,
and sealed it with a "stamp" to affirm their vow.
"Convinced now? I’m a very forgiving person."
"If things don’t work out between us... maybe look inward for the reason."
Chi Qingshui couldn’t help but laugh, giving him a light smack.
Lin Yu seized her hand, pressing her against the door as he "sealed" the resolution of their little spat—
with a domineering, lingering kiss that finally chased away the last of the gloom in Chi Qingshui’s heart.
By the time they returned to the dining table, everyone else had already taken their seats.
But Aunt Qimeng was nowhere to be seen.
It didn’t take a genius to guess she’d stepped out early to greet someone.
Playing dumb, Lin Yu asked the group,
"Where’s Aunt Qimeng? Did she go out?"
Huang Feirong, leaning against Shen Buyao, countered with curiosity:
"Lin Yu, is there some special guest coming today?"
"Aunt Qimeng said she’s going to meet someone and will be right back."
"If it were just one of the girls from the apartment, she wouldn’t make such a big deal of it, right?"
Lin Yu almost wanted to give Huang Feirong a thumbs-up.
When it came to smooth segues, the queen of risqué humor never disappointed!
Scratching his head, Lin Yu feigned ignorance:
"Really? Aunt Qimeng didn’t mention anything..."
"Let’s chat for now. I’ll go check if there really is another guest."
But before he could take a step,
Lin Yu froze in place.
Seemed like there was no need—
He could clearly hear a series of footsteps approaching the apartment’s entrance,
along with Aunt Qimeng’s unmistakably delighted chatter.
Clang!
The apartment door swung open.
Everyone at the table stood and turned to look.
Those who hadn’t met the Xia Sisters were especially eager to catch a glimpse
of the legendary young heiresses.
Yet, the woman who entered alongside Chen Qimeng, leading the group,
was an elegant, ageless "beautiful lady" radiating sophistication.
If not for her mature, figure-hugging crimson dress, her true age would’ve been impossible to guess.
Lin Yu fixed his gaze on the woman, forcing himself to stay sharp.
She’s finally here...
Du Ruxue!
The woman he’d encountered countless times online, in virtual worlds, even in dreams—
had now shattered the barrier between realms and stood before him in the flesh.
The moment Du Ruxue appeared,
the girls in the apartment erupted into murmurs...
Chang Xiaoxiao: "Ruirui-jie, is this the nurse’s sister from the apartment? She’s so gorgeous!"
Mao Ruirui: "Such an elegant older sister! I’ve never met her before either!"
Fang Xinran: "She gives off such a wealthy vibe—so bold with her fashion. I feel like a country bumpkin next to her."
Chi Qingchi: "Wow! She looks straight out of a manga—a CEO heroine! Who is this... sister? Aunt?"
Huang Feirong: "Who is she? Isn’t she the nurse’s sister?"
Shen Buyao: "Nope! First time seeing her too, but definitely not!"
Shen Jiuyi: "A new character enters the stage? Seems like she’s close with Aunt Qimeng."
"..."
Guided by Chen Qimeng, Du Ruxue gracefully approached the group.
Chen Qimeng announced cheerfully:
"Ruxue, let me introduce everyone to you, starting from this side—"
Before she could finish,
Du Ruxue raised a hand, smiling.
"Qimeng, how about letting me guess first?"
"Weiwei told me so much about everyone here on the way over. Let’s see if I get it right!"
...
(Extra chapter delivered! More to come tomorrow—thanks for all the support! The audiobook version is also out now with several new chapters. Feel free to give it a listen if you’re interested.)
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
