"Director Wu, is it true that our boss is being kept by Luo Yao?"
Wu Zhishang was so angry he wanted to swear. What kind of question was that to ask right to his face? And the way they phrased it was downright rude.
"Kept"?
What an ugly term—even if it was technically true.
"You all want to lose your jobs? Should I fire you right now?"
"Come on, Director Wu, no need for that!"
"I'm part of Gen Z—if you fire me, I’ll sue you for unfair dismissal."
Wu Zhishang was speechless. He was finally getting a taste of what these college kids were capable of.
They worked hard, sure, but they also had that fearless, doe-eyed energy—unable to hide a single secret in their gaze, yet so emotionally fragile they couldn’t handle the slightest criticism.
"Fine, fine. You want to know? Then I’ll tell you—Brother Lin and Sister-in-law are legally married. If any of you keep spreading nonsense, I’ll… dock your bonuses."
Firing them was useless, but hitting them in the wallet? That might work.
"What? Director Wu, I hope someone knocks your teeth out so you become a toothless scoundrel."
"Legally married?"
A young guy nearby suddenly teared up.
"Boss, I’m literally crying. He’s sacrificed so much—not just his body, but his soul too."
"Wait, is this some kind of ‘rich woman pays for a baby’ plot?"
Wu Zhishang: ???
Just then, the short-drama screenwriter sidled up to him.
"Director Wu, I’ve got a perfect plot idea. Mind if I draft it and send it to you?"
Wu Zhishang hadn’t expected the writer to be this proactive.
"What’s the idea?"
"It’s about a guy who becomes a rich woman’s lapdog to feed his brothers. But it’s still rough—needs polishing."
"Jesus! How about ‘I tear apart a gold-digger’ instead? A powerful female CEO fiercely protecting her man?"
The writer pondered it and realized that might actually work.
"Director Wu, you’ve truly grasped the essence of short dramas. Yours is even more brain-dead than mine."
Before Wu Zhishang could react, the director chimed in.
"Director Wu, should we edit some messages for the audience into the main footage?"
Wu Zhishang thought for a moment. "No. If this were a novel, we’d put author notes in the comments section for readers to find. But this is a short drama—that’d break immersion. At most, we can add them in the credits."
"Got it. One more thing—the crew wants to take some photos. Honestly, they’ve already sneaked quite a few. What should we do?"
"Let me ask Brother Lin." Wu Zhishang didn’t dare disturb Lin Ran directly, so he sent a message instead.
[Wu Zhishang: Brother Lin, Sister-in-law, do you mind if the crew takes photos here? If you do, I’ll make them delete everything.]
Lin Ran showed the message to Luo Yao, who simply glanced back at him.
The message was clear—it’s your call.
[Let them take photos. It’s not like they’ll ever live in a place like this in their lifetime. Might as well let them have a memento.]
Wu Zhishang nearly choked on his own breath.
[Brother Lin, you… They might leak this. I’m worried it’ll cause trouble for you and Sister-in-law.]
Lin Ran sighed and looked at Luo Yao again. She snatched the phone, read the message, and promptly kicked the bedroom door open.
"Wu Zhishang, if you’ve got nothing better to do, get lost."
Wu Zhishang froze. What was Sister-in-law’s deal?
Kicking him out so abruptly—was it to stop Brother Lin from answering?
No answer meant silent approval.
So… was Sister-in-law actually okay with exposure?
Wait, was he interpreting this right?
God, someone save me.
Lin Ran walked downstairs again and patted his shoulder with a smile.
"Still here? Hoping for a free meal?"
Wu Zhishang shook his head frantically. Brother Lin always knew best.
No denial meant tacit permission—so he’d leave it be.
Let the student crew do whatever they wanted.
Wu Zhishang quickly herded everyone out. The crew, still shaken by Luo Yao’s icy outburst, stayed silent.
But in their hearts, they were all thinking:
"Our boss has sacrificed way too much."
Chen Qingtian took one last longing look at the villa, vowing to become as rich as Luo Yao one day—so she could keep a harem of pretty boys and a few athletes too.
Wu Zhishang glanced down at his own abs and sighed.
He’d never measure up. Better to keep those little fantasies buried deep inside.
Maybe this was for the best.
Chen Qingtian had once warned him—falling for her would end badly.
He didn’t think she was joking.
Once everyone was gone, they cleaned up meticulously, leaving no trace behind. The villa returned to its usual quiet solitude.
During dinner, Lin Ran caught Uncle Fu’s eye, and the older man immediately understood, ushering everyone else away.
"Yao Yao, we’re alone now. I need to ask you something, and I want an honest answer."
Luo Yao’s expression didn’t change.
"What is it?"
Lin Ran tilted his head, studying her with a meaningful gaze.
"Have you… been taking precautions?"
Luo Yao nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. I’ve been on medication. Unless… A-Ran, do you want a child?"
Lin Ran shook his head.
"Not now, at least. But Yao Yao, doesn’t the medication harm your body?"
Luo Yao’s eyes gleamed.
"What if it does?"
"Then we’ll switch to something safer. I won’t let you get hurt."
As he spoke, Lin Ran idly wondered which brand of chewing gum had the best texture.
Luo Yao’s heart skipped a beat. So that’s what he was worried about.
"A-Ran, you’re concerned about my health?"
"Of course. Your well-being means more to me than my own life."
Luo Yao threw herself into his arms, gazing up at him.
"Don’t worry. It’s a secret formula passed down in the Yi Family—completely harmless."
Only then did Lin Ran relax slightly.
"A-Ran, it’s been so long since you last fed me with your mouth."
Lin Ran paused, then slowly set down his chopsticks. Imported ingredients really did taste better…
The next morning, Capital University’s forum exploded over three scandals.
The first involved Liu Ruxue.
Last time, Shen Jingbing had publicly exposed her in the library for hooking up with other men despite having a boyfriend.
Whether she admitted it or not, Liu Ruxue was now universally branded a cheater.
Shen Jingbing had even presented photos and videos as evidence. Though no one saw the explicit details, witnesses close to him that day swore the content was… eye-searing.
"Did you hear? Liu Ruxue was in some guy’s car wearing nothing but her underwear."
"Actually, I heard she was completely naked in there."
"Wait, no—she brought Huo Haini into the car with her!"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
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.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
