It was eleven o'clock at night.
Lin Yu and Fang Xinran were huddled together against the headboard, watching the Video On Demand channel.
They hadn't actually selected the content currently playing; they were simply watching whatever the station happened to be airing.
Given their current state, Fang Xinran honestly didn't have the energy to pick a show. Taking a shower together earlier had completely drained her stamina.
The fact that she could maintain consciousness and not fall asleep immediately was an achievement in itself!
"Xiao Yu, is it really okay for you not to go home?"
"Will Sister Qimeng be worried that you... went out to do something bad?"
Fang Xinran asked Lin Yu with concern.
Lin Yu felt a wave of amusement inside.
Senior Sister really had it easy, asking questions like that while lying down!
Something bad?
Was there anything 'worse' than staying out all night to sleep with the intern teacher?
Her worry was completely unnecessary. If Lin Yu were afraid of that, he wouldn't have extended their sessions time and time again.
"It's fine, you don't need to worry, Xinran."
"I often pull all-nighters at internet cafes during summer vacation. Aunt Qimeng won't ask too many questions."
Hearing this, Fang Xinran breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's good that it's frequent. Your stamina is really good."
Lin Yu: "???"
Fang Xinran: "..."
When she said it, Fang Xinran didn't think anything of it.
But her words couldn't withstand scrutiny.
With just a little overthinking, one's mind could easily wander in a strange direction.
"I didn't mean it that way..."
Fang Xinran felt the need to add an explanation.
But after saying it, the atmosphere seemed to get even weirder.
It would have been better not to explain at all!
"Haha, I didn't say you meant anything else, did I? Is your brain still dwelling on what we just did?"
Lin Yu took the opportunity to tease her.
Unexpectedly, Fang Xinran responded with absolute conviction:
"Mm, yeah, I am."
Lin Yu: "???"
Why was Senior Sister Fang's reaction different from other girls?
Usually, at a time like this, shouldn't other girls hide away in shyness?
How did Senior Sister Fang admit it so openly and generously!
This...
Wasn't this putting pressure on Lin Yu?
At this moment, if Lin Yu avoided the topic and pretended not to hear, wouldn't that be admitting defeat?
How could he admit defeat in front of a girl!
He had to teach her a proper lesson!
He had to make her clearly understand the consequences of speaking like that.
Next time...
There might not be a 'next time' for a long while in the future.
He had to cherish the opportunity in front of him and treat it like the final lesson.
Since it was a class!
If he didn't work hard and give it his all, he would definitely regret it later!
...
And so.
Lin Yu withstood the pressure and intensity, pushing straight through until 1:30 AM.
Fang Xinran, her stamina gauge completely depleted to zero, fell asleep peacefully in Lin Yu's arms.
Lin Yu didn't have the bad habit of being unable to sleep in strange beds.
It had been his birthday last night.
Lin Yu had shown mercy and spared his fellow 'sect members' for once.
But this time.
He couldn't let them be so lucky.
The Great Demon King who ruled the Dream World had descended once more!
Lin Yu opened the system interface and impatiently activated the Dream Entry Art.
[Ding!]
[Advanced Dream Entry Art Activated (Four-Person Edition)!]
[Tonight, the Host will encounter &￥%￥&%@ (Huang Feirong) in the dreamscape. Please select an appropriate dream type for her!]
For his first choice, Lin Yu locked onto Huang Feirong.
Today was supposed to be the day he visited her, but he had been turned away at the door because of family matters at her house.
Since I couldn't get a read on the situation at the scene, perhaps I can uncover a trace of evidence in the dream world?
The matters weighing on one's heart have a high probability of being projected by the subconscious into one's dreams.
Lin Yu quickly browsed through Huang Feirong's dream types...
[1. Game World: I've become a hostage in need of rescue?]
[2. Internet Cafe Dance-Off: You guys think you can beat my bestie?]
[3. Late-Night Gaming: It's only fun when you're sneaking around!]
[4. What's wrong with playing cards? Call me the God of Gamblers!]
[5. None of the above satisfy me. Random Dream!]
Lin Yu: "..."
Talk about optimism.
Just how carefree can a person get?
She really doesn't have a single worry on her mind!
Something this huge happened to her family, yet she doesn't take it to heart at all?
Thinking back to how he tried to comfort her yesterday, Lin Yu felt his efforts had been entirely superfluous.
Just how big is this sister's heart?!
Aside from gaming, it's just more gaming. Come on, at least show a little bit of the stress typical of a twenty-first-century adult, would you?
However, seeing Huang Feirong act like this actually relieved Lin Yu of his hesitation.
What was left to decide?
Just pick a type that looks fun and play along!
After looking it over twice, Lin Yu finally settled on Dream Type 1.
He wanted to see what kind of hostage the "Queen of Dirty Jokes" would turn into in a fantasy world!
After completing the first selection, Lin Yu hurriedly moved on to the second.
[Ding!]
[Advanced Dream Entry Technique activated (Four-Person Edition)!]
[Tonight, the Host will encounter the Honorary Elder of the Astrological Pavilion (Shen Jiuyi) in the dreamscape. Please select an appropriate dream type for her!]
For the second candidate, Lin Yu settled on the "Big Cow."
If he couldn't find any valid information in Huang Feirong's dream, perhaps Shen Jiuyi—who always dreamt exactly what she was thinking—could reveal something.
Furthermore, as his interactions with the Antique Sister deepened, Shen Jiuyi seemed to be intentionally avoiding him.
If he didn't continue to reinforce his influence in her dreams, she might easily forget the feeling of being dominated.
Soon, the dream types appeared in the system list:
[1. Meteorite Descent: A disaster foretold by calculation?]
[2. The Scene at Guihang: The mastermind destroying everything!]
[3. Guarding the Shop Alone: Is Yaoyao not coming back yet?]
[4. Pointed by Fate: Following the guidance of destiny!]
[5. None of the above satisfy me. Random Dream!]
Lin Yu: "!!!"
Little Jiu lived up to her reputation; Lin Yu had guessed her thoughts perfectly.
What she was thinking in her heart really did appear in the dream world.
What made Lin Yu even more uncomfortable was...
He really, really wanted to try Dream 3 and Dream 4!
They were placed there so directly, as if offering him a massive stimulation.
They exuded a mysterious aura, making it impossible for him to look away.
If not for the fact that his excess energy had just been released, Lin Yu might have abandoned the idea of exploring Guihang and gone all-in on either option three or four.
After letting his rationality settle for a good while, Lin Yu made the difficult choice to select Dream Type 2.
With the first two dream candidates determined, the third choice fell upon [Chi Qingshui].
She had worked so hard at school today.
Since there was a chance to distribute some "sugar" in the dream world, he had to let her taste some sweetness.
For the fourth candidate, Lin Yu chose the woman right beside him, [Fang Xinran].
As a continuation of tonight's sweetness, he wanted her to harvest even more beautiful memories before her departure.
Even if you end up in another city in the future, never forget this wild night!
...
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?!
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
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)
] [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!"
