Suddenly, an eagle’s cry pierced the sky, shattering the warm atmosphere.
Luo Yao shuddered, her body trembling slightly as a flicker of fear flashed in her eyes.
After a moment’s hesitation, she quickly grabbed Lin Ran’s hand and hurried toward their secret hideout.
Her footsteps were rushed, as though something terrifying was chasing them.
Only after the two of them slipped inside did Luo Yao finally let out a relieved sigh.
"No one knows about this place," she said, her eyes glimmering with a trace of relief.
This was her last sanctuary, the only safe place she and Lin Ran had left.
"Luo Yao, I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye last time," Lin Ran said guiltily, knowing how much his sudden departure had hurt her.
Little Luo Yao looked up at him. "You promised you’d marry me when we grew up. They say only husband and wife can stay together forever."
Her eyes sparkled with hope, bright as the most radiant star in the night sky.
Lin Ran nodded, his gaze steady as he met her eyes. "I didn’t just say it—I’ll make it happen."
[Little Black: "Oh—" Shut up.]
"But… do you have a wife now? I heard that marrying someone means taking a wife," Luo Yao asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Lin Ran was taken aback, not expecting such a question from her.
He smiled softly. "If you nod, then I do."
His eyes brimmed with affection, looking at Luo Yao as though she were the most precious treasure in the world.
Luo Yao didn’t quite understand at first, but after a moment, realization dawned, and she nodded emphatically.
The two stayed in the hideout for a while longer before Lin Ran checked the timer in his hand.
"This time, I can stay with you for six more hours. And I brought you some things."
He thought it was only fair to tell her exactly how long they had, but he never imagined he’d break that promise so soon.
Luo Yao’s face fell instantly. The hopeful light in her eyes dimmed, like a brilliant star plummeting into an abyss of endless darkness.
Her head drooped slightly, her lips trembling, her shoulders slumping as if all the life had drained out of her.
The joy of their reunion, so vibrant just moments ago, shattered like fragile bubbles against the harsh reality.
"Luo Yao, the reason I came to see you this time is to tell you… you have to be brave in the days ahead. I’ll be waiting for you someday in the future."
Lin Ran’s voice was gentle yet firm, like a faint light kindled in the dark.
His eyes were filled with reluctance and heartache, every word wrenched from the depths of his soul, carrying his deep longing and hope for her.
He knew they might not meet again for a long time, but these were the only words he could give her for strength.
If he could, Lin Ran would have taken Luo Yao away right then—far from this cruel, merciless world, away from this place steeped in bloodshed and slaughter.
Every breath of air here reeked of death; every shadow concealed unseen dangers.
But he only had a few hours. In such a short time, escaping with her was impossible.
Time hung over him like a merciless blade, a constant reminder of his powerlessness.
Besides, Little Black had warned him from the start—no one else could cross time with him.
It was an uncrossable chasm, a cruel shackle fate had clamped around him.
Lin Ran’s heart ached with helplessness and pain. He despised his own weakness, yet there was nothing he could do to change it.
This time, Luo Yao didn’t have an episode. Instead, she seemed to be struggling to suppress the storm of emotions raging inside her.
"I call this place the Star-Gazing Cave. You’re like the stars in the sky—appearing and disappearing without warning. Stars are beautiful… but they’re also despair."
Night had fully fallen. Lin Ran looked up and saw the starry sky through the opening above them.
"Stargazing from a well… One day, you’ll stand under the open sky and see the most beautiful stars."
Luo Yao glanced at the stars, then at Lin Ran, and for a moment, happiness felt simple.
Lin Ran: "Do you have a wish?"
At his words, Luo Yao seemed to remember something.
"I do."
"What is it? Tell me. Maybe I can help make it come true."
Little Luo Yao reached behind her neck and untied a cord.
"This wish… only you can fulfill."
The cord looked worn but well-preserved, as though it carried something priceless.
"Last time, you vanished without leaving me anything," she murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow—the kind born from endless nights of painful memories.
"This time… you have to leave me something."
Hanging from the cord was a small vial, glimmering faintly in the dim light.
Lin Ran recognized it instantly. The familiar sight made his heart skip a beat.
[So… it was written at this time?]
But inside the bottle, there seemed to already be a note.
Luo Yao carefully opened the small bottle, her movements as gentle as if she were handling the most fragile treasure in the world.
She softly pulled out the note inside—it was slightly crumpled, clearly having been unfolded and read many times before.
She lifted her head, her gaze firm as she looked at Lin Ran, her eyes shimmering with longing and anticipation.
Lin Ran froze for a moment, staring blankly at the note in Luo Yao’s hand, a surge of complex emotions rising in his chest.
So this was the context in which the note had been written. Every crease seemed like a mark of Luo Yao’s lonely waiting, every word brimming with her yearning for him.
Slowly, he raised his head and looked up—sure enough, the night sky was filled with stars, dazzling and magnificent like an enormous painting. Yet to Lin Ran, there was an indescribable eeriness to it.
So this was the well from his dreams. Everything around him felt surreal yet undeniably real, making him question whether he was still dreaming.
"Big brother, will you do it yourself?"
Luo Yao’s voice pulled Lin Ran back from his thoughts.
Lin Ran saw the words Luo Yao had written on the note long ago, though he didn’t know when.
"[When I grow up, I’ll marry]—" The rest was left blank.
The handwriting was crooked but brimming with childlike innocence and hope, every stroke looking as though Luo Yao had poured her heart into it.
"Don’t call me ‘big brother.’ Call me A-Ran."
Lin Ran forced a faint smile, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
"A… Ran."
Luo Yao murmured the name softly, and the way it rolled off her tongue carried an unusual tenderness.
"Yao Yao!"
Lin Ran responded, his voice warm and affectionate.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
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)
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
