In Chen Qimeng's flower shop on the commercial street...
Chen Qimeng sat drowsily at the packaging table, a half-wrapped floral ribbon dangling from her hand, swaying left and right. Her eyes were half-closed, her body limp. The overwhelming sleepiness felt just like those exhausting lectures back in her student days. Finally, she could no longer resist the drowsiness and began tilting to one side.
Chen Qimeng: "!!!"
The sudden sensation of weightlessness jolted her awake. In her wobbly state, she instinctively reached out to grab something—but of course, there was nothing to hold onto.
However.
Chen Qimeng didn’t fall. Instead, Du Ruxue, sitting beside her, effortlessly caught her with a calm, almost indifferent motion.
"So, as I was saying..."
"If you're not getting enough sleep, you should stay home and rest."
"Your shop still has Feirong, right? I can help out too."
"Missing one day of work won’t make the sky collapse."
Du Ruxue steadied Chen Qimeng before turning back to arranging the wrapping paper in front of her.
"That scared me... felt like a dream."
"Thank you, Ruxue."
"But there are several orders today that need to be delivered on time."
"I’m not like you—already financially free. I still have to work hard to make ends meet."
"Speaking of which... how are you not tired at all?"
Chen Qimeng stared at Du Ruxue in disbelief.
It was as if she was the only one who had stayed up all night.
Chen Qimeng had even managed to sneak in a short nap earlier that morning.
But Du Ruxue hadn’t slept a wink the entire night!
Yet she looked even more energetic than Chen Qimeng, showing no signs of exhaustion.
"Qimeng, have you forgotten what I do for a living?"
"For someone used to pulling all-nighters, one sleepless night is nothing."
Chen Qimeng: "..."
Oh, right.
Over the past two nights, while chatting with Du Ruxue, Chen Qimeng had learned many stories about her struggles and triumphs.
And that mysterious identity of hers—a hacker!
Du Ruxue had even mentioned her personal record: staying awake for over a hundred hours straight, then sleeping for two full days afterward.
Compared to that, one night was truly nothing.
Still.
Chen Qimeng couldn’t resist calling her out:
"Ruxue, didn’t you say yourself during our chat?"
"That after staying up late, it’s best to recover your energy immediately, or it could cause irreversible damage to your body?"
"I don’t think you’re just used to staying up—you’re preoccupied with thoughts of that kitten, aren’t you?"
In front of Chen Qimeng, Du Ruxue didn’t bother hiding it.
She admitted outright:
"Yeah, since last night, I’ve been feeling... complicated."
"How should I describe this feeling..."
"Qimeng, honestly, I don’t even know how to put it into words."
"With a complex bug, you can at least trace its source and untangle it step by step."
"But tangled emotions? Now that’s tricky. I hate this kind of uncertainty."
The way Du Ruxue spoke with such mechanical precision was, in Chen Qimeng’s eyes, still impressive.
Even in their thirties, they still encountered many "firsts" in life.
Not everything had a ready-made solution.
At this age, it took courage to openly admit one’s struggles.
"Ruxue, whether you believe me or not..."
"I think I can understand a little of what you’re feeling—that moment when you realize the younger generation has grown up."
"Sometimes, when you think about their mindset, their lifestyle, the way they handle problems..."
"It might not be as mature as ours, but we should still try to understand them."
"There’s a saying..."
"Their souls belong to tomorrow—a tomorrow we can’t even dream of reaching."
"You can strive to be like them, but don’t force them to become like you."
"Because life doesn’t move backward, nor does it linger in the past."
Chen Qimeng recounted the quote from memory, speaking softly to Du Ruxue.
Suddenly, Du Ruxue turned to look at her, silent and assessing.
The unblinking gaze made Chen Qimeng’s heart skip a beat.
Oh no, oh no.
Had she said too much? Did it come across the wrong way?
Did mentioning "the younger generation growing up" make Ruxue think of Lin Yu?
Over the past two days, with Du Ruxue around, Chen Qimeng had been extremely careful to keep her distance from Lin Yu.
She... she hadn’t slipped up, had she?
Under Du Ruxue’s unnerving stare, Chen Qimeng quickly backtracked:
"Ahaha... maybe that wasn’t the best example."
"But you get the general idea, right? I just hope it helps, Ruxue."
Du Ruxue shook her head.
Chen Qimeng’s face fell. "You... don’t get it? That’s fine too!"
Du Ruxue shook her head again.
Chen Qimeng: "Huh???"
Then, shedding her earlier robotic tone, Du Ruxue smiled.
"What I mean is, the example was perfect."
"Qimeng, you haven’t changed a bit since college."
"You’ve always been good at comforting people. It really lifted my spirits."
As she spoke, Du Ruxue wrapped her arms around Chen Qimeng and rested her head on her shoulder.
Compared to her earlier detached demeanor, this softer side of Du Ruxue was far more endearing.
"Not really, I’ve just been reflecting on things lately."
"You barely ate earlier. Want to grab a snack to fill up a bit?"
Chen Qimeng waited, but there was no response from the woman leaning on her shoulder.
"Ruxue? Not hungry at all?"
"Ruxue?"
"..."
When Chen Qimeng turned her head slightly, she realized Du Ruxue had fallen asleep.
Just moments ago, she had seemed wide awake.
Chen Qimeng paused her work and had Feirong take over.
She remained seated quietly, letting Du Ruxue rest comfortably against her.
......
Lin Yu and Ye Mengfu returned around three in the afternoon.
On the way back, Lin Yu hadn’t forgotten his promise.
Despite Ye Mengfu’s repeated refusals, he insisted on taking her to a lingerie store to buy two well-fitting sets in a larger size.
This wasn’t just for Ye Mengfu’s sake.
It was an investment in his own future happiness.
No one should suffer—least of all the... nourishment providers.
This was one expense he couldn’t skimp on.
When Ye Mengfu received the new lingerie, she declined the store’s thick paper bag.
Instead, she asked for two soft plastic bags, carefully tucking them into her backpack.
If she walked into the apartment carrying a branded bag and ran into someone...
How could she possibly explain that?
Lin Yu didn’t bail halfway. He escorted Ye Mengfu all the way to the neighborhood entrance.
Ye Mengfu knew Lin Yu had other things to attend to.
From the moment they started heading back, she kept insisting she could return alone.
But no matter how many times she said it, Lin Yu refused every time.
He wasn’t the type to let her take a cab back alone after... well, everything.
No matter how busy he was, this took priority.
"H-here... this is for you."
"L-look at it later. I’m going back now... goodbye, hubby."
......
(First update for today. The second and bonus updates are coming soon!)
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?"
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?
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
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...
