Liu Ruxue shouted, "You're insane! I'm calling the police on you!"
Huo Haini stood nearby, stunned into silence, quietly observing everything from start to finish.
"Go ahead. If I need to spend a few days in jail, so be it. My boss will cover any fines. What can you even do to me?"
As he spoke, he grabbed Liu Ruxue by the hair and slapped her ruthlessly across the face.
He and Liu Ruxue had a grudge to settle—last time, he’d nearly lost his job because of her. Now, seeing his enemy again, his blood boiled with rage.
Liu Ruxue tried to escape but couldn’t. All she could do was endure the pain and call the police. Shen Jingbing didn’t even try to stop her.
Lin Ran chuckled, ignoring the chaos, and casually stepped into his Rolls-Royce. But he didn’t start the engine—after all, the show wasn’t over yet.
Because of the commotion, Wu Zhishang lost interest in riding the shared bike and instead climbed into his Ferrari parked nearby.
This scene happened to catch the eyes of Zhao Miaomiao and her companion as they turned the corner.
They froze, stunned, utterly shocked.
Zhao Miaomiao quickly realized—if Lin Ran was that wealthy, how could the people around him be ordinary?
She immediately pulled out her phone and called Wu Zhishang, only to hear that his line was unavailable.
"Wuwuwu… Wu Zhishang seems pretty great too."
In the car, Wu Zhishang sighed. "Brother Lin was right. A man can pretend to be poor, but he can’t actually be poor."
Shen Jingbing’s one-sided beating continued. By the time the police arrived, Liu Ruxue was already bruised and swollen.
As Liu Ruxue and Shen Jingbing were restrained, Lin Ran stepped out of his car and slowly walked toward the Pagani parked on the side of the road. He didn’t even glance at Liu Ruxue, merely giving Shen Jingbing a thumbs-up. In response, Shen Jingbing made a bowing gesture toward Lin Ran.
The moment Lin Ran got into his car, the passenger door swung open—Huo Haini slid inside.
Lin Ran’s expression darkened. "Get out."
Huo Haini put on a coy act. "Lin Ran, I’ve actually liked you for a long time. I’ve wanted to confess, but since you were chasing Ruxue before, I…"
Lin Ran raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then tell me, why do you like me?"
"Because you’re handsome, hardworking, and brilliant. Those are rare qualities."
Lin Ran smirked. "But I seem to recall someone saying, ‘What’s the point of being handsome?’ That this is a money-driven society, and studying hard can’t bridge the class divide. Right?"
Huo Haini’s face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t remember if she’d said those exact words, but the tone and phrasing sounded uncomfortably familiar.
"Lin Ran, that was just jealousy talking! I’ve always liked you. I have everything Liu Ruxue has—I can do what she does, and even what she can’t." She shifted slightly, deliberately showing off her long legs.
"If I were your girlfriend, I’d be a thousand times better than her."
Lin Ran scoffed. "What, you and Liu Ruxue aren’t ‘sisters’ anymore?"
"I only got close to her to get closer to you. I love you so much. Just let me be your girlfriend, and I’ll do whatever you say." She batted her eyelashes.
Lin Ran nodded slowly. "Ah, I see. Well then, what I need right now is for you to get the hell out of my car."
Huo Haini blinked. "Okay."
The moment she opened the door, Lin Ran kicked her out. The roar of the engine vanished instantly, leaving Huo Haini standing in the empty street, utterly bewildered.
Liu Ruxue, still waiting to be taken away, caught sight of this just as she was being pushed into the police car. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Nini, you—?"
Huo Haini quickly composed herself. "That bastard Lin Ran! I tried to convince him to treat you better, and he just kicked me out!"
"Really?"
"Of course!"
"No talking! Get in the car!" The officer behind her barked, forcing Liu Ruxue inside.
Lin Ran soon arrived at Luo Corporation—just a quick U-turn away.
In the office, Luo Yao was still sorting through documents. Lin Ran didn’t disturb her, simply watching quietly from the side.
Her brows were furrowed, a clear sign of her mood. She flipped through the files at a terrifying speed, not saying a word. The only sound in the room was the rustling of paper—an eerie silence.
Lin Ran kept watching until Luo Yao finally stopped.
"Had enough of staring?"
Lin Ran handed her a glass of water. "No. A lifetime wouldn’t be enough."
Luo Yao turned, accepting the cup he’d once given her, and took a small sip.
"Ah Ran… sometimes, I really wish I could lock you by my side forever."
Lin Ran smiled. "I’d be honored." He knew she didn’t mean it literally.
Suddenly, Luo Yao stood, gripping his throat with icy fury in her eyes.
Lin Ran felt his breath tighten but slowly reached up to stroke the back of her head.
In moments like this, comfort was the only answer—no questions needed.
Luo Yao’s expression flickered with panic. She immediately released him, flustered. "Ah Ran, I—I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry."
Lin Ran took a deep breath. He didn’t find her love suffocating—only heartbreaking. The way she was now… was his own doing.
With a gentleman’s grace, he extended his hand. "My lady, your man would like to escort you home."
Luo Yao stared at his outstretched hand blankly.
Lin Ran smiled. "We’ll talk at home."
Finally, Luo Yao placed her hand in his, and they left together.
Once in the car, Luo Yao spoke abruptly.
"Ah Ran… what do you think of Huo Haini?"
Lin Ran chuckled. "Just look at her name. Tells you everything."
"Do you like her?"
Lin Ran shook his head vehemently.
Luo Yao pressed on. "Ah Ran… between me and Liu Ruxue, who’s more unpredictable?"
Lin Ran paused, confused. "Liu Ruxue is fickle."
"But I prefer consistency."
Luo Yao wasn’t stupid. She understood his meaning perfectly.
"Actually… I can be unpredictable too. For example—"
Lin Ran cut her off. "Careful with your words, little devil."
Luo Yao nodded. Then she asked a question that sent a chill down his spine.
"Do you like pets?"
Lin Ran stiffened. He glanced through the rearview mirror at Wang Bao in the car behind them, then shook his head—that couldn’t be it.
Had Luo Yao planted a listening device on him?
Or was it that lip-reading expert she’d mentioned before? Damn, that was terrifying.
Now he finally understood her earlier outburst.
For someone with her… tendencies, overthinking was deadly. Lin Ran knew this from experience.
Luo Yao still occasionally lacked a sense of security with him.
"Pets… well, that depends. If they’re well-behaved and cute, who could say no?"
Luo Yao leaned in, her breath warm against his skin.
"Then… do you like a pet like me? One that’s not always obedient?"
Lin Ran gently pressed a finger to her lips.
"Quiet, you beautiful menace. Unless you want to be locked up."
o a martial world and obtained a system that allowed him to draw one entry per year. Unfortunately, all he drew were useless white-tier entries. The probability for high-quality entries was extremely low, with the highest-tier mythic entry having a mere 0.001% chance! To increase the probability, he had to improve his martial realm, but he lacked the innate talent for cultivation. At the age of eighteen, Chen Yi fell into the hands of a gang and was forced into hard labor. Just as his life seemed destined for a bleak end, on his 18th entry draw, he actually pulled a mythic entry—Simulator! In the simulation, he could also draw one entry every year that passed, and upon ending the simulation, he would inherit all entries and his martial realm! In his first simulation, Chen Yi struggled desperately just to survive, knowing that living one more year meant one more entry draw! Finally, with hair turned white, he drew the entry he had longed for—Low-Grade Innate Talent! "Hahaha! Don't bully the old and poor! Time to cultivate and inherit my cultivation base!" ... From then on, Chen Yi continuously simulated and drew entries, his martial realm soaring higher and higher! Epic, legendary, and even mythic entries were gathered into his collection one after another! "What demon race or devil race? What dark turmoil? I don't know anything about that. They just charged at me screaming 'How can you possibly ascend to immortality?!' and got stuck to my fists, unable to be shaken off. Blind spots, speed bumps... go talk to my simulator. We're all struggling to survive out here. I'm trying so hard, so how are they still alive?"
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."
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)
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
