Song Chunxia dared to ask this question because she had already sized up Lin Yu's antique appraisal skills in her mind.
No matter how modest Lin Yu was, it didn’t matter.
What truly mattered was how Song Chunxia perceived Lin Yu!
If she regarded him as an expert, but Lin Yu casually spouted nonsense to brush off the matter, the consequences would be obvious.
She had been straightforward with him, yet he chose to hide the truth, not daring to speak honestly.
Could such a person be trusted?
Absolutely not worth befriending!
Not only would it ruin Song Chunxia’s first impression of him, but given her temperament, she might even complain to Brother Biao about it later.
Offending two people for no reason—what a bitter pill to swallow!
Should he showcase his genuine appraisal skills and tell the truth?
After acquiring the "Antique Sister," Lin Yu had indeed mastered the art of antique identification.
Appraising an antique was as easy as pie for him now.
Though he hadn’t yet examined it closely, judging by its appearance and quality…
90% fake!
To anyone with expertise, it was undeniably a counterfeit.
But precisely because it was fake, a dilemma arose!
A gift from a friend?
Even if Song Chunxia dared to say it, could Lin Yu believe it?
If this item were genuine, its value would easily exceed a million.
What kind of close friend would casually give a million-dollar gift?
This gift…
Could it have been Brother Biao’s present to his wife?
If Lin Yu declared it fake, what if the couple ended up fighting over it?
Then Lin Yu would become the villain!
If he ran into Brother Biao later, he’d likely face resentment.
Worse, if Brother Biao had hyped up the item’s authenticity, it might have already strained their marital relationship.
Brother Biao had treated him well.
How could Lin Yu, knowing the risks, push Brother Biao into trouble behind his back?
All these thoughts, however, remained on the surface—the first layer.
At this level, Lin Yu still held the initiative.
He could still control how things unfolded.
But there was a deeper layer to this!
Song Chunxia…
Did she actually know anything about antiques?
Was she aware whether the item in the box was real or fake?
She was Brother Biao’s wife, after all!
Brother Biao was an antique enthusiast who loved collecting old artifacts.
But what about his wife?
Could she share the same hobby?
What if, from the very beginning, Song Chunxia already knew the answer and was testing Lin Yu?
The way he answered would carry an entirely different meaning.
An amateur could be fooled.
But an expert wouldn’t let Lin Yu get away with deception!
Gasp!
Lin Yu suddenly realized—
He had underestimated today’s gathering and Song Chunxia’s intentions for meeting him.
Right off the bat, she had thrown him such a tricky challenge.
Just as Lin Yu found himself trapped between a rock and a hard place—
Mao Ruirui suddenly leaned forward and swiftly closed the opened box.
Song Chunxia: "???"
Lin Yu: "???"
Mao Ruirui’s abrupt action stunned both of them.
At the same time, Lin Yu was reminded once again of the power of sincerity.
"Chunxia-jie, I get it now," Mao Ruirui said.
"You want Xiao Yu to check whether your friend’s gift is real or fake, right?"
"But Xiao Yu isn’t a professional appraiser. He might know a little, but how could he compare to an expert?"
"If he misjudges it and affects your friendship, wouldn’t that be his fault?"
Song Chunxia: "…"
Lin Yu: "!!!"
Exactly! That’s the point!
Ruirui-jie nailed it!
Despite her hearing impairment, her mind worked lightning-fast.
Though she hadn’t caught every detail, she pinpointed the crux of the issue.
And she voiced it without a hint of malice!
This was an innate talent—something impossible to learn.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yu didn’t just sit there dumbfounded.
He nodded in agreement.
"Chunxia-jie, Ruirui-jie really spoke my mind."
"I’m honored you trust me enough to ask, but I honestly don’t dare to judge it…"
"For the reason Ruirui-jie mentioned—my skills are limited. If I mess up and harm your friendship, that’d be unforgivable!"
"If you really want it appraised, Ruirui-jie and I have a friend at the Ghost Market Street. Her expertise is the real deal."
As he spoke, Lin Yu discreetly held Mao Ruirui’s hand under the table.
Having her step in to rescue him was perfect!
[Ding!]
[Masterful move! The Saint’s sweet interaction fills his Dao Companion with joy!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]
Mao Ruirui scooted closer to the table, ensuring their intertwined hands stayed hidden from Song Chunxia’s view.
She had no idea how much she’d just helped Lin Yu.
All she knew was…
She’d guessed his thoughts correctly!
Their minds really were in sync!
Song Chunxia chuckled as she put the box away, unsure whether to laugh or sigh at Mao Ruirui.
The words "head over heels in love" might as well be stamped on her forehead.
No one needed to point it out—her actions gave her away completely!
"Alright, alright, Ruirui’s right," Song Chunxia conceded.
"I have zero interest in antiques. This thing was given to me by Brother Biao’s sister-in-law."
"She claimed it wasn’t worth much, just a trinket to wear."
"But that woman and I have a terrible relationship. Why would she give me something real?"
"I asked Brother Biao if it’s genuine, but he wouldn’t say!"
"So when I ran into Lin Yu today, I figured I’d ask him."
Mao Ruirui: "…"
Lin Yu: "…"
Chunxia-jie was truly a straight shooter.
Calling her sister-in-law "that bitch" in front of others—she really didn’t treat them as outsiders!
Mao Ruirui awkwardly sipped her tea, casting a sympathetic look at Song Chunxia.
"Chunxia-jie… does Brother Biao have another sister-in-law outside?"
"I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was such a situation."
Song Chunxia paused, then burst into laughter.
Lin Yu hastily piled food onto Mao Ruirui’s plate, urging,
"Let’s eat while we talk, eat while we talk."
Covering her mouth, Song Chunxia giggled.
"Ruirui’s just too entertaining! I love hanging out with fun young people like her!"
"Lin Yu, I don’t care what you think, but Ruirui’s a gem. I see her as my own little sister."
"If I find out you’re fooling around behind her back and hurting her…"
"I swear I’ll make you regret it!"
Lin Yu wanted to clarify that they were just close friends for now.
But given Mao Ruirui’s earlier display, that explanation would be hard to sell!
However, he didn’t need to respond.
Mao Ruirui took care of it herself—
She shot up from her seat, frantically waving her hands at Song Chunxia.
"No, no!"
"Chunxia-jie, please don’t misunderstand!"
"How could I ever fool around with Brother Biao?"
"We never contact each other privately!"
...
(Second update. This round of edits might be even more brutal than the last. Some chapters could have over a dozen flagged sections, each requiring rewrites of dozens to hundreds of words. Essentially, it means redoing entire chunks. No choice but to power through. I’ll keep you all posted on progress.)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
