The clatter of the sliding door closing finally put Lin Yu's mind at ease.
Mao Ruirui probably wasn't overthinking things; she just wanted to get Lin Yu settled in first.
At the very least, she wanted him to rest comfortably without suffering too much.
They had gone out to eat with others, and Lin Yu had come back drunk.
How could Mao Ruirui stay out of it?
She felt compelled to take responsibility for looking after him.
Lin Yu had seen Mao Ruirui's little resting room before.
However, he had never been inside to rest; this was his first time being brought in.
The room contained only a single bed and a small floor lamp.
There was nothing else.
It was simple, yet it felt very secure.
Especially on a scorching summer afternoon, having such a highly private little room for a nap...
One could only imagine how comfortable and sweet that sleep would be!
"Xiao Yu, lie down first and get some rest."
"I'll go get some lemon water. Do you want ice, or room temperature?"
Mao Ruirui asked thoughtfully.
Even while preparing lemon water, she didn't forget to ask his preference.
Lin Yu wasn't a woman; in the summer, of course he wanted it iced.
Slurring his words slightly, he replied:
"Iced. Iced is good... very good. It's hot enough today as it is."
As he spoke, Lin Yu made a show of wiping sweat from his forehead, even though there wasn't any.
Whether there was actual sweat didn't matter; what mattered was conveying the message that he was hot, which had to be communicated clearly.
Mao Ruirui glanced outside the door and walked out quickly:
"Okay, I'll bring it right over. Xiao Yu, don't move around too much. Lie down, or lean back a bit."
"I'll turn the AC down now so it won't be so hot in a moment."
The moment Mao Ruirui left the room, Lin Yu's eyes instantly cleared.
He took out his phone and switched it to silent mode.
At a time like this, he absolutely could not be disturbed.
Silencing his phone seemed like a small detail, but it was crucial.
In his experiences over the past few days, there had been plenty of moments ruined by phone interruptions.
For an impromptu date that relied entirely on playing things by ear, interruptions were strictly forbidden. A phone call now would be a fatal disruption.
After dealing with his phone, Lin Yu pulled his short-sleeved shirt up.
Taking it off completely would seem too frivolous and explicit.
It might make Mao Ruirui uncomfortable or make her suspect his intentions.
But pulling it up halfway...
Well, wasn't it just because it was too hot?
He had just emphasized that point, after all.
Mao Ruirui wasn't gone long before she returned to the small room carrying a glass of iced lemon water.
She also brought a chair with her.
If Lin Yu was lying on the single bed, there wouldn't be any space left for her to sit.
Standing next to him the whole time would create a sense of pressure and make things awkward.
Should she just leave? Mao Ruirui didn't feel safe doing that.
Someone who had drunk too much was very likely to vomit.
Mao Ruirui had once read news online about a drunk man choking to death on his own vomit.
That story had left a deep impression on her.
Facing a similar situation today, Mao Ruirui absolutely would not let any trouble befall Lin Yu.
At this time of day, there wasn't anything urgent to do in the pet shop.
There were basically no customers.
Regulars would message her before coming, so she didn't need to worry about missing any VIPs.
Besides.
How could any customer compare to Lin Yu right here in front of her?
If she had to choose, the answer was obvious.
Seeing Mao Ruirui bring the chair in, Lin Yu felt reassured.
Wasn't the meaning obvious?
She was planning to sit and keep him company!
This actually made Lin Yu's next moves much easier to execute.
Gulp, gulp... gulp, gulp...
Lin Yu dashingly downed the lemon water in one go, leaving only the ice and lemon slices.
He drank so fast that he finished it before he could even taste the sourness.
Seeing this, Mao Ruirui stood up hurriedly:
"Do you feel better? I'll go get another glass!"
The moment she stood up, Lin Yu reached out.
He grabbed Mao Ruirui's wrist, stopping her from rising:
"No need, I can't drink anymore... Ruirui, stay with me for a while..."
Mao Ruirui's heart skipped a beat. She blinked and sat back down, responding immediately:
"Okay, I... I won't go."
She naturally wouldn't refuse Lin Yu's request.
But she didn't expect that...
Mere words weren't enough to satisfy Lin Yu.
He lay down on the bed, but placed his head right on Mao Ruirui's lap.
This startled Mao Ruirui!
It wasn't Lin Yu's sudden clinginess that scared her.
It was that she was sitting a few fist-lengths away from the edge of the bed.
Lin Yu's sudden move ignored the distance completely; he just flopped down.
Worried he would fall, Mao Ruirui had to awkwardly shuffle her legs forward.
She pressed them tightly against the edge of the bed to catch Lin Yu.
"Phew..."
Mao Ruirui looked up and let out a soft breath.
What could she say to a drunk man?
Telling him to be careful would fall on deaf ears right now.
It was better to just stay by his side and make sure nothing went wrong.
"Ruirui, don't go..."
Lin Yu knew exactly how to manipulate the mood.
The words coming out of his mouth were cheesy lines he would never say when sober.
It made Mao Ruirui feel warm and happy inside, so giddy she almost lost her bearings.
She stroked Lin Yu's hair and replied:
"I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."
"Xiao Yu, are you feeling a bit better now?"
"Are you still thirsty?"
Mao Ruirui asked gently, showing her full concern.
Lin Yu shook his head and said with his eyes closed:
"No more, I really can't drink anymore. The liquor today felt spicier than usual."
"Ruirui, don't you drink... I'll drink for you... I'll do the drinking..."
A man in this state, speaking such words, was performing at a god-tier level.
As long as the woman had even the slightest affection for him, he could easily capture her heart.
And in this case.
Mao Ruirui's affection was far more than just 'slight'!
Hearing this.
Mao Ruirui immediately smiled and replied:
"Okay, I'll listen to you. I won't drink."
"But can you listen to me next time and not drink so much?"
"Drinking too much really hurts your body, and it seems like you've been drinking constantly these past few days."
Looking at Lin Yu's profile, Mao Ruirui couldn't resist placing her hand on his face.
Usually.
They never had the chance to be alone like this.
Let alone engage in such intimate, ambiguous interaction.
Come to think of it.
She should probably thank this accidental drunkenness for giving her the opportunity to spend some time alone with Lin Yu.
Hearing Lin Yu say such emotional things brought her great comfort.
Suddenly.
Lin Yu's hand covered hers, firmly grasping Mao Ruirui's hand and preventing her from pulling it away from his face.
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
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?"
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
] [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!"
