Lin Yu’s brows twitched slightly, and without hesitation, he replied:
“No time.”
He had expected Miaomiao to immediately slip into her usual feisty-cat mode.
Instead, she simply nodded calmly and murmured softly:
“Alright.”
Whether she was asking him out on a date or picking a fight, it didn’t matter.
Lin Yu wasn’t going to agree to anything.
He’d already put on an Oscar-worthy performance to convince Miaomiao that he was ZerO.
Too much interaction now, and he might slip up.
After this, it’d be best if their paths never crossed again.
Let the two hackers duke it out online—even if one ended up dead, it was none of his business.
“Ding-dong!”
“Ding-dong!”
“…”
His phone buzzed with WeChat messages.
Lin Yu picked it up and glanced at the screen: “…”
The sender? None other than Nurse Xia Yiwei from his apartment complex!
Tch, he already had his hands full with the “flowers” at home.
Who had time to entertain wild ones outside?
Even the most diligent gardener had their limits.
「Xia Yiwei: Little Master, kiss and run?」
「Xia Yiwei: Think playing the tough guy scares me?」
「Xia Yiwei: Tomorrow, you’re having dinner with your beloved disciple. Time and place TBD!」
「Xia Yiwei: Consider it compensation for her.」
「Xia Yiwei: (Animated GIF of a couple making out passionately)」
Lin Yu was tempted to show Miaomiao the chat log.
See this?
This was how you properly asked someone out.
Asking if he had time?
Childish.
A real pro just sent a notice.
Lin Yu tapped his phone and fired back a reply.
「Lin Yu: I’ll compensate you with an egg!」
Then, he muted his phone.
Whatever Miaomiao wanted from him, he didn’t know.
But Xia Yiwei? She was actually trying to pick a fight!
Lin Yu, a model citizen of the new era, wasn’t about to follow some fishnet-stocking nurse into a brawl.
Especially when the target was her own sister!
If their sibling relationship was this bad… just cut ties already!
Why keep it around for the New Year?
…
A few minutes later.
The manager from 860 Headquarters, here to discuss business, finally showed up at the café.
The man was a middle-aged businessman with a slick side-part, looking to be around forty.
Approaching the table, he asked politely:
“Are you two ZerO and Miaomiao?”
After receiving confirmation, the manager launched into a two-minute self-introduction.
Lin Yu didn’t bother memorizing any of it.
Ying’er was the one handling the collaboration, not him.
He had zero interest in technical jargon.
The only thing worth noting? This guy was the money man.
“Ahem, if you two have no questions, perhaps we could…”
The manager stood awkwardly by the table, unsure where to sit.
The booth was a long, face-to-face setup with a divider.
Lin Yu and Miaomiao had, quite uncharacteristically, taken seats on the same side near the aisle.
Ever the gentleman, Lin Yu stood up, grabbed his stuff, and moved to the opposite side.
“Manager, take this seat. I’ll sit over here.”
Hey, the guy was paying—basic courtesy was a must.
Damn cat, glued to her seat.
Weren’t you all about manners?
Would it kill you to give the money man some space?
Miaomiao scooted inward slightly, smugly thinking: This round goes to me—ZerO moved first!
Once seated, Lin Yu shoved the bouquet in front of Miaomiao.
It was meant for her anyway.
Whether she liked it or whether it was her birthday didn’t matter.
Carrying it around was just a hassle.
But the moment the flowers touched her, a familiar mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
【Ding!】
【High-quality talent detected—meets sect recruitment criteria!】
【Time-limited mission issued: Recruit the Exceptional!】
【Target: Du Miaomiao!】
【Time limit: 72 hours.】
【Recruit the Exceptional: This woman possesses extraordinary bone structure and innate talent—a one-in-ten-thousand prodigy for dual cultivation. Host must recruit her into the sect within three days.】
【Rewards: All of the recruit’s skills, +200 sect contribution, +400 spirit stones, 2 free system mall draws.】
【Friendly reminder: Exceeding the time limit will permanently void this recruitment opportunity.】
Lin Yu: “!!!”
Holy hell.
The system had hidden features like this?
Couldn’t it just come with a damn manual listing all its Easter eggs?
Instead of making him stumble into them like some lucky draw?!
Yesterday, interacting with people outside the apartment hadn’t triggered anything.
He’d assumed the system only judged women within the complex.
Now it seemed…
A rare few “talents” out there still qualified for recruitment.
And the most eye-catching reward? All of the recruit’s skills.
No need to grind intimacy levels—just a straight copy of her entire skill set.
Talk about a free EXP boost!
On closer inspection…
Raised in a well-off family, this young lady had quite the refined air.
Just her face alone could easily rank top ten in the apartment.
Du Miaomiao, huh… tsk tsk tsk.
Miaomiao, now holding the flowers, noticed the shift in Lin Yu’s expression.
Just moments ago, he’d looked utterly annoyed with her.
Now?
His eyes burned with something… unreadable.
If she had to guess? Lust.
The blatant staring made her uneasy, and she averted her gaze.
But then she remembered an old saying—
When two people lock eyes, the first to look away loses.
Crack.
Her fists clenched, and she snapped her gaze back.
Lin Yu, suddenly all charm, asked:
“What were you asking me earlier about tomorrow?”
Miaomiao, confused: “Asking if… you were free tomorrow?”
Lin Yu answered instantly: “I’m free.”
Miaomiao wasn’t just confused now—she was stunned: “???”
What were boys, really?
Two minutes ago, he’d refused her outright.
Now this?
…
In a room at the budget hotel across the street.
Mo Shangying lowered her binoculars urgently, her face grave:
“Oh no…”
“Master wants to handle her.”
From this distance, Shangying hadn’t gotten a clear look at Miaomiao’s face.
Earlier, she’d accessed some intel files but found no photos.
But as Miaomiao shifted closer to the window…
It was clear—this girl was delicious.
Beside her, Ye Mengfu:
“Huh? Handle her?”
“You mean… beat her up?”
Shangying waved her off.
Then, with a sharp grin, she locked eyes with Mengfu and raised a brow:
“Heh. Yeah, ‘beat her up’—just not the kind you’re thinking of…”
Mengfu tilted her head: “???”
Shangying suddenly clapped her hands together.
The clapping sped up.
Mengfu’s glasses nearly slid off her nose: “!!!”
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...
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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?"
