The elderly woman chatted with Ye Mengfu and Lin Yu for a long time.
Although Lin Yu did most of the talking throughout, Ye Mengfu only occasionally chimed in with a word or two.
When elderly villagers encounter familiar faces returning home, especially the children of old acquaintances, they tend to be exceptionally warm and welcoming.
After repeatedly declining the old woman's invitations, the two finally bid her farewell.
Only after she left did Ye Mengfu lead Lin Yu to the "backstreet."
The area they had been wandering around earlier belonged to the village's main street.
The place where little Fufu (Ye Mengfu) had lived as a child was located near the peach orchard at the back of the village—the backstreet.
As she described it, Lin Yu’s mind conjured up an image of an old house overgrown with weeds.
After so many years of neglect, the grass might have grown as tall as a person.
However.
When the two arrived in front of a slightly rusted red gate, Ye Mengfu came to a stop and pulled a set of keys from her backpack.
"This… this is it. My home."
Lin Yu looked around in mild surprise.
Overgrown with weeds? Where?
There wasn’t a single weed in sight!
Even the lock was new, and the surroundings were neat and tidy, as if someone visited frequently.
Would Fufu’s parents suddenly appear once the door was unlocked?
After turning the key, Ye Mengfu stepped aside and gestured for Lin Yu to enter first.
Stepping into the small courtyard, Lin Yu felt as if he had stumbled into a "hidden paradise."
The pathway inside was paved with stone bricks.
The courtyard’s soil was neatly divided into sections, each growing cucumbers, peppers, gourd vines, and… luffa? Bitter melon?
Since they weren’t fully grown yet, even Lin Yu, a village boy, couldn’t identify some of them.
So this wasn’t an abandoned old house after all!
The orderly arrangement of vegetables, cultivated for leisure, clearly showed that someone tended to them regularly.
"Fufu, did your parents plant all these?"
"Such a lively touch! They’re so well cared for."
Lin Yu couldn’t help but marvel.
Then.
Ye Mengfu latched the gate behind them, clasped her hands behind her back, and said:
"It’s my mom… just her."
Lin Yu froze.
Fufu’s mom—alone.
Emphasizing "just her" didn’t bode well.
If Fufu didn’t want to explain further, Lin Yu naturally wouldn’t pry.
He’d find out when the time was right.
Pretending not to have noticed, Lin Yu continued:
"Ah, so it’s your mom! She’s amazing, keeping everything so well-organized!"
"And she grows so many things—does she come back often?"
Ye Mengfu added softly:
"Mm, she was here just yesterday. The left side… is my mom’s planting."
Lin Yu: "Then the right side is… yours?"
Ye Mengfu shook her head.
Slowly, she explained:
"The right… is my dad’s. They’re… competing."
Lin Yu’s smile stiffened: "…"
What the—?
Could she not pause like that mid-sentence?!
From her earlier words, Lin Yu had already conjured up all sorts of dramatic scenarios!
Turns out, not only were her parents happily together, but they were also competing in gardening, living some idyllic life?
Just as Lin Yu was internally facepalming.
Little Fufu lowered her head and murmured:
"Did you… think my parents weren’t together anymore?"
"Just… kidding."
Lin Yu: "!!!"
Just kidding…
So?
Fufu had deliberately phrased it ambiguously!
She wanted Lin Yu to misunderstand.
Only to reveal it was all a joke.
I see…
Even socially anxious girls crack jokes!
It’s just.
Their humor isn’t something everyone can keep up with.
That said.
If she hadn’t fully accepted Lin Yu as part of her world.
Would she even joke with him?
Even if this one was downright diabolical!
Watching Lin Yu flounder in awkwardness.
Ye Mengfu’s face burned red as she whispered:
"N-never mind…"
"Let me… show you around inside…"
In the life of someone socially anxious, mustering the courage to crack a joke—to deliver a punchline—was rare.
And yet!
The punchline fell flat?
For Ye Mengfu, this was catastrophic.
But as she moved past Lin Yu.
Lin Yu reached out and pulled her into a side hug.
Before she could slip away.
He tightened his grip, trapping her against him.
Ye Mengfu: "???"
The next moment.
Ye Mengfu felt a pinch on her nose.
Realizing Lin Yu had flicked it lightly.
"You little troublemaker!"
"Since when did you get so bold, huh?"
"Scaring me like that—I really thought your parents had split!"
"Pinching your nose this time, but next time it’s your butt!"
"See if you dare tease me again, tsk tsk!"
[Ding!]
[Masterful move! The playful banter between the Saint and his Dao Companion deepens her affection for him!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]
Ye Mengfu covered her nose, trapped in Lin Yu’s scolding embrace.
She quickly pleaded:
"W-won’t do it again, sorry."
But her barely suppressed smile betrayed her true feelings.
So she could joke with someone—she could joke with Lin Yu!
After a light swat on her backside, Lin Yu finally let her go.
Then.
He took the keys from her hand, examining them:
"Is this the one for the house?"
"As punishment, I’m commandeering your home now!"
Ye Mengfu’s smile only widened as she whispered:
"Okay."
Lin Yu took a sharp breath: "!!!"
Gah!
That "okay"—so unbearably sweet!
It seeped straight into his bones, melting him on the spot.
No, no—must resist the urge to "commandeer" things further.
This was supposed to be a proper date.
Couldn’t jump straight to bedtime antics!
Otherwise.
Every time Fufu thought of him, it’d just be… in and out, out and in—nothing else!
To truly win a girl’s heart, you had to create sweet memories together.
Not just focus on the… sweaty ones.
Lin Yu unlocked the house door.
Inside was sparse—a pool table covered with a green dust cloth, a few chairs, and two wooden sofas.
No extra furniture or unnecessary clutter.
This, at least, looked untouched.
But it was clear.
Fufu’s parents were people who knew how to enjoy life.
Installing a pool table in their old home?
On the windowsill nearby sat a red scoring board.
Red: 20, Blue: 15!
No dust on the board—someone must play often.
"A pool table too?! Do both your parents play?"
"This is the dream life—color me jealous!"
Lin Yu couldn’t help but gush.
Ye Mengfu replied gently:
"My mom doesn’t."
(Second update for today! There’ll be an extra chapter later—not too late!)
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
