It was approaching midnight.
Lin Yu returned to the apartment.
Coincidentally,
as he entered, he ran into the returning "duo" in the lobby on the first floor!
"Aunt Ruxue, Maomao!"
"Have you been out playing until now?"
"Hahaha, looks like you had... a great time?"
Lin Yu cast a meaningful, inquiring look at Maomao.
Seeing Maomao smile and nod, Lin Yu felt a wave of relief in his heart.
Ever since giving advice for the amusement park,
Lin Yu hadn't continued to participate in their activities for the rest of the day.
After all,
this was a rare chance for the two of them to be alone together.
He couldn't keep butting in and ruining their fun.
The reason he knew everything was fine as soon as he saw them upon returning
was because he saw...
Aunt Ruxue's "disheveled" appearance!
Lin Yu returned just in time to see Aunt Ruxue, having taken off her baseball cap,
with messy hair, and flushed red cheeks and neck,
gulping down ice water at the dining table on the first floor.
And this was under the condition of a less hot afternoon with a light drizzle.
If it had been a full day of scorching heat, Aunt Ruxue would probably have suffered heatstroke by now!
Although Maomao's appearance wasn't much better, with her hair sweaty and clumped together,
it was still a far cry from Aunt Ruxue's state.
Aunt Ruxue had been presenting herself as a sophisticated, high-powered businesswoman these past few days.
Seeing her like this actually added a touch of down-to-earth, mortal charm, making her seem more approachable.
"Xiao Yu, coming back so late, were you out on a date with a girl?"
Du Ruxue put down her water glass, deliberately teasing him with a hint of annoyance.
How could she not read the look in Lin Yu's eyes?
Many of the activities Maomao had arranged today were things Maomao herself had never experienced.
Maomao isn't a local, so how could she know Pingchuan so intimately?
Naturally, someone must have been coaching her from behind the scenes!
And who could that someone be?
Lin Yu's questioning upon returning made the answer obvious.
You little rascal!
He actually arranged so many physically demanding activities for her!
She considered herself somewhat of an older homebody, with very little daily activity.
Today had definitely exceeded her usual exercise quota!
Lin Yu didn't take Aunt Ruxue's teasing to heart at all.
She's flustered, she's flustered!
A simple little poke managed to bait out her big reaction.
Seems like Maomao's adrenaline was running pretty high all day today!
The restaurant door opened.
Chen Qimeng came into the lobby carrying two bowls of chilled mung bean soup.
"Xiao Xue, have a bowl quickly, to cool down and relieve the heat."
"Looking at how red your face is, you mustn't get heatstroke!"
"This bowl is for Maomao..."
"Xiao Yu, there's more in the kitchen, wait for me a moment."
Seeing that Aunt Qimeng was about to head back into the kitchen,
Lin Yu hurried forward to stop her, saying,
"Aunt Qimeng, I don't need any."
"I had plenty of cold things outside, I'm very cool, not hot at all."
Chen Qimeng looked Lin Yu over; he really didn't look anything like the other two.
Maomao: "Thank you, Aunt Qimeng."
Du Ruxue: "Gulp gulp... gulp gulp..."
Seeing Aunt Ruxue in this state was truly a rare sight!
Lin Yu was a bit reluctant to go upstairs, wanting to see more of her utterly exhausted appearance.
Moreover,
there was still one important matter that hadn't reached its conclusion.
This made Lin Yu even more unwilling to go to sleep so early.
Lin Yu glanced at Maomao, who was holding a bowl and drinking soup, and gave her a "you know what I mean" look.
Maomao quickly caught on and temporarily set the bowl down.
Then,
she walked over to Aunt Ruxue and asked earnestly and straightforwardly:
"Aunt Ruxue, does my test task for today count as completed?"
Du Ruxue downed the mung bean soup in one go, as if she hadn't had enough of a drink.
She handed the bowl back to Chen Qimeng, clasped her hands together, and begged for another bowl.
Only then did she turn to face Maomao and said:
"We had a pretty good time playing today, I'm satisfied."
"If you can manage and arrange your own daily itinerary when you're out on your own, it means you have a preliminary ability to survive."
[Ding!]
[A brilliant move. The Holy Son's assistance to the outer sect disciple has made her especially grateful!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]
Hearing Aunt Ruxue say this, Maomao was overjoyed.
At the same time,
she also knew that being able to successfully complete today's test was largely due to Lin Yu's behind-the-scenes help.
This success belonged to both her and Lin Yu...
Snapping back to reality,
Maomao quickly pressed further:
"Aunt Ruxue, aren't there three test tasks?"
"Will the third task also be told to me temporarily at 8 AM tomorrow?"
If it was still this kind of sudden method, Maomao felt she wouldn't have a solid grasp on things.
Since it was the final hurdle,
it was sure to be much more difficult than the first two.
If she could know the content of the test in advance, Maomao could also make some preparations.
Unexpectedly,
as soon as these words were spoken, Du Ruxue's gaze actually fell upon Lin Yu.
Lin Yu: "???"
What does Aunt Ruxue's look mean?
It sent a chill down Lin Yu's spine.
He had a feeling she was up to no good!
Could she be looking for an opportunity to get back at him?
He had only laughed at her a little, was she really that petty?
Du Ruxue spoke up:
"The third test task, I can tell you right now."
"However..."
"This time, we need Xiao Yu's help. It depends on whether he's willing or not."
Lin Yu's expression turned serious: "..."
Today she had specifically emphasized testing Maomao's ability to live independently.
But now she was explicitly naming Lin Yu, saying she needed his help?
Wasn't that contradictory!
Something unusual was definitely afoot.
What exactly was Aunt Ruxue plotting? They would only find out by listening further.
"Aunt Ruxue, Maomao and I are friends."
"I also hope she can stay, you know that."
"If I can help Maomao, I would naturally be more than willing."
"I wonder... what kind of help are you referring to, Aunt Ruxue?"
Lin Yu quickly stated his position to put Maomao's mind at ease first.
Du Ruxue continued:
"To be precise, it's not really about having you help directly."
"Rather, I want you to agree to one thing..."
Immediately after,
Du Ruxue's gaze fell upon Maomao again:
"Tomorrow, for Xiao Yu's birthday party, I want you to be the host!"
"How to arrange the entire event, how to emcee and transition, when it starts, when to be seated, what to do during which segment..."
"Everything will be left to you to control the stage!"
Maomao's eyes widened: "!!!"
Lin Yu's eyes were even wider than hers: "???"
What? What's going on? Stirring up trouble?
What is this, a host challenge?!
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?
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?"
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...
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.
