Lin Yu and Miao Haixin got into a taxi together.
Though seated side by side in the back, neither spoke a word.
Lin Yu knew full well that Miao Haixin was wrestling with her thoughts.
She was preparing her explanations, figuring out how to justify herself to Lin Yu.
There was no such thing as "finding another place to talk"—she just needed time to gather her composure.
Lin Yu wasn’t out to catch his advisor in some wrongdoing.
The earlier situation had simply been the perfect setting for him to maintain a stern demeanor.
If he had acted too casually, it wouldn’t have matched the gravity of narrowly escaping Yan Miaozhu’s predicament.
A slightly exaggerated performance was better for keeping the upper hand.
Miao Haixin’s current reaction was proof enough.
Just as Lin Yu expected, Miao Haixin sat there, outwardly calm.
In truth, she had no idea how to explain herself later.
How could things have gotten so awkward?
A university advisor having to give a sincere explanation to her own student?
Their roles were completely reversed!
Even the location for their upcoming talk had been a spur-of-the-moment suggestion from Miao Haixin.
She chose the park near her rented apartment!
After all, if Lin Yu hadn’t suddenly appeared,
she would have been heading home around this time anyway.
In another hour, the caregiver looking after her grandmother would clock out.
She couldn’t bear leaving her grandmother alone, so she had to hurry back.
As long as the place was quiet, the location didn’t really matter.
Miao Haixin stole another glance at Lin Yu before quickly looking away: "..."
That expression was terrifying.
Who knew Lin Xiaoyu could be so intimidating when angry?
If only she could redo this entire day!
Meanwhile...
Maomao, having just completed her shopping alone, stepped out of a gold jewelry store.
She let out a long breath, patting her slightly heaving chest.
"I did it..."
"I completed a shopping transaction all by myself!"
Mo Shangying, standing beside her, handed her a tissue:
"Wipe the sweat off your forehead, Maomao."
"Just how sheltered were you? Buying something shouldn’t feel like surviving a thunder tribulation."
Maomao took the tissue and nodded politely.
"Thank you, Ying'er."
Mo Shangying: "Also, one more thing..."
Maomao blinked curiously: "Hmm? What?"
Mo Shangying: "What do you mean 'all by myself'? Wasn’t I with you? Am I not a person? Tell me, am I a person or not?"
Maomao stiffened, her mind automatically replaying:
The iconic line from Special Identity—"Am I not a person?!"
She quickly shook her head.
No, no.
This wasn’t the time for that.
Ying'er was right!
If she hadn’t been there, Maomao might not have even dared to step inside the store.
"I-I’m sorry, Ying'er."
"I was too nervous and misspoke."
Maomao clasped her hands together, her apology earnest and her demeanor utterly docile.
Mo Shangying sighed, helpless against Maomao’s sincerity.
She had only been teasing, trying to rile her up a little.
But Maomao responded with such earnestness that Mo Shangying’s inner mischief had no room to play.
"Alright, alright, stop looking at me like that—it’s weirding me out."
"But seriously..."
"I get that Aunt Ruxue wanted to test your spending skills by buying gold."
"Why gold necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, though?"
"Wouldn’t gold bars be better?"
"These designed pieces come with extra processing fees—such a rip-off!"
"Virtual gold would’ve worked too, right? It’s just as tradable."
Unable to decipher Maomao’s logic, Mo Shangying tossed out the question casually.
Maomao’s face instantly flushed red, and she lowered her head.
Mo Shangying: "???"
What kind of reaction was this?
Was her question really that hard to answer?
Then—
Maomao stammered, "Aunt Ruxue... probably wanted to see if I could manage independent living."
"And if I’m living independently... that means living a full life, right?"
"So eventually, I’d have to... you know..."
"Like when people get married..."
Mo Shangying’s jaw dropped: "Huh???"
So this wasn’t just about buying gold for investment.
It was the wedding gold set?!
Stunned into silence for a moment, Mo Shangying could only latch onto the most critical point and exclaim:
"Bruh..."
"The san jin?! Are you serious?"
"Isn’t that something the groom’s family buys for the bride?"
Maomao blinked in confusion, staring at Mo Shangying intently.
Mo Shangying: "..."
"Hey, you dumb cat, what’s with that look?"
"Did I say something wrong?"
"You’re acting like I just spouted the most absurd thing ever!"
Maomao’s thought process defied all conventional logic.
At first, Mo Shangying had been utterly confident in her stance.
But Maomao possessed some kind of magical ability—
her innocent reasoning always managed to deliver a devastating counter.
"N-no, not wrong."
"I just thought Ying'er would see it the same way I do."
"Is it legally required for the man to give the 'Three Golds' to the woman?"
Mo Shangying stood frozen, speechless: "..."
Here we go again.
Maomao's uniquely bizarre train of thought!
But wait.
Maomao wasn't done yet, adding:
"I've looked it up online. These customary practices are ultimately just agreements between two parties."
"If the symbolic weight of money—its sense of importance and security—doesn’t matter, then who gives what shouldn’t be a big deal, right?"
"Personally, I don’t think security comes from money. Or at least, that’s not how it works for me."
"Buying it myself would still be a statement of commitment… to whoever ends up being my 'someone' in the future."
Mo Shangying remained utterly stunned: "..."
If Maomao’s future partner heard this, they’d probably be over the moon.
But if some scheming person got wind of it, they’d absolutely take advantage of this silly cat.
Mo Shangying couldn’t help but reflect deeply.
Here they were, both internet shut-ins.
Yet the gap between them felt massive.
Mo Shangying: "Maomao, there’s something I’m not sure if I should ask..."
Maomao straightened up earnestly:
"Of course you can ask. I’ll answer seriously."
Mo Shangying took a step forward, leaning in close to Maomao’s face, and said:
"About that 'someone' of yours..."
"Would the gender really be a dealbreaker?"
Maomao blinked: "???"
Mo Shangying: "A girl should have a chance too, right?"
Maomao: "Huh?!"
Mo Shangying: "How about considering me? I’m actually pretty great too! Throw in some extra betrothal gifts, and I’d be up for it!"
Maomao flushed crimson, too flustered to speak: "..."
...
(First update today! There’ll be bonus chapters later, so please show some love with your support!)
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
