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!)
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.
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...
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]
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?"
