"Could I get one of these too, please?"
The little secretary blinked at the cafeteria staff behind the counter.
"Alright, Miss! Let's go eat!" Cheerfully balancing a lavish meal for two, she headed toward the nearest table.
Once seated, she realized her young mistress hadn’t followed.
"Huh? Miss Dongfang?"
A giant question mark practically floated above her head.
She turned to see Dongfang Zhixia standing frozen in place, her gaze locked on another serving window across the cafeteria.
The secretary scrambled up and trotted over. "Miss, what are you looking at?"
Dongfang Zhixia narrowed her eyes but stayed silent. Following her mistress’s line of sight, the secretary spotted Ye Cheng holding an enormous crab—her eyes instantly sparkled.
Oh!
The young mistress must be craving crab!
"Wait right here, Miss! I’ll go grab one!" The secretary dashed toward the neighboring window.
And then... she brushed right past Ye Cheng without a second glance.
She leaned eagerly over the counter where he’d just been. "Hello! I’d like one of those crabs, please. The same kind as before!"
Dongfang Zhixia: "???"
She was utterly baffled.
Was there any chance she’d been staring at Ye Cheng—not the crab?
Sometimes, Dongfang Zhixia seriously considered cracking open her secretary’s skull just to see what was inside. How could anyone be this clueless?
Moments later, the secretary returned triumphantly with a hefty crab, beaming.
"Hehe, Miss! I picked a plump one! Not as good as that guy’s earlier, but still pretty great!" She looked like she’d scored a bargain.
Dongfang Zhixia: "..."
"Come on, Miss! Crab’s best eaten hot. I’ll shell it for you."
Pulling her mistress along, the secretary happily settled at their table and got to work.
"Oops! Forgot the tools."
Staring at the crab, she smacked her forehead—no utensils.
"Miss, wait here! I’ll grab the tools real quick."
She bolted back toward the counter, but just as she reached it, a gust of wind rushed past—someone cut in front of her.
Ye Cheng leaned halfway through the window, practically sticking his rear out.
"Hey, could I get a crab-cracking set? Yeah, the whole thing."
"Lucky you—last one left. You sure you know how to handle it, kid? Want me to crack it for you?"
The staff member eyed him. Unlike the usual proud young nobles who dined here, Ye Cheng seemed oddly down-to-earth, chatting like they were at a market stall.
Like a husky loose in a pack of wolves—out of place, but not unlikable.
Ye Cheng took the tools with a grin. "Nah, I prefer doing it myself."
Truthfully, he was worried the staff might skim a claw or two. He wouldn’t notice missing meat, and since he couldn’t afford crab often, he’d never memorize the proper portions.
The worker shrugged and let it go with a smile.
Ye Cheng thanked them and was about to leave when, after just a few steps, he felt someone tugging at him.
"Jerk! Give that back to me!"
The little secretary grabbed Ye Cheng’s arm with both hands, putting on her fiercest expression in an attempt to mimic her young mistress’s icy demeanor, hoping to intimidate him with some kind of domineering aura.
That way, Ye Cheng would obediently hand over the item.
Unfortunately, the little secretary had a pair of harmless almond-shaped eyes—big and doe-like, making her look like an easy target.
Though already in her twenties, she appeared much younger than those around her. At first glance, Ye Cheng had already "locked onto" her.
Hmm… so this was the legendary youthful face with… ahem?
Noticing Ye Cheng sizing her up, the little secretary shuddered and quickly covered her chest with both hands.
"Y-you jerk! What are you looking at?!"
Ye Cheng glanced around, as if confirming something.
"What are you looking for?" she asked, slightly confused.
Ye Cheng nodded to himself.
Good, the president isn’t here.
If the boss isn’t around, how dare a little secretary like you pick a fight with me?
Haven’t you heard the saying? Even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner!
Right now, he was Young Mistress Shen’s number one lackey!!! (Extremely proud, extremely loud.)
Not just anyone could mess with him—his status had undergone a qualitative leap. Nowadays, he could even drink yogurt without licking the lid!
Could you even imagine such luxury?!
A "devilishly charming" smirk spread across Ye Cheng’s face, his eyes brimming with three parts recklessness, three parts arrogance, three parts… cough—anyway, he looked every bit like a protagonist ready to show off.
"You want my UZi’s jump shot—ahem—my crab-opening tool?"
"Do you think you’re wor—ah, never mind. Not giving it to you. It’s mine."
Ye Cheng had originally planned to unleash a smooth combo of internet troll moves to tease the little secretary.
But after a second thought, it might be too harsh. The little secretary seemed naive and clueless, clearly untouched by the cruelty of society. If he made her cry, it’d be hard to clean up the mess.
Besides, last time when he was tied up in the factory, it was this same little secretary who came back to untie him. There was still some "human decency" between them.
"Give it to me! It’s supposed to be mine!" The little secretary puffed up her cheeks, refusing to let go.
"You said it yourself—supposed to be. But now it’s in my hands. What are you gonna do if I don’t give it to you? Bite me?"
Ye Cheng wore a shameless grin.
The little secretary was stunned.
A delicate girl like her had never encountered someone as shameless as Ye Cheng.
Her lips quivered, on the verge of tears. "Give it back…"
"Metropolis doesn’t believe in tears. Cry all you want—it still counts as time wasted!" Ye Cheng played the villain mercilessly, showing no pity.
The little secretary had been about to cry, but hearing his words, she swallowed her pride and held back her tears. Mustering her courage, she glared at him.
"Jerk!"
After hurling this "vicious" insult, she tightened her grip on Ye Cheng’s hand, lifted it, and bit down hard!
Ye Cheng: "…"
Before he could curse, the little secretary ducked her head and bolted toward her young mistress.
"Hey, my temper—ow!"
Ye Cheng had initially planned to corner the little secretary and tease her mercilessly, but then he met Dongfang Zhixia’s icy glare.
Despite it being the peak of summer with temperatures outside nearing forty degrees, Ye Cheng suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Oh no—it was a trap!
Ye Cheng bolted, grabbing a crab-cracking tool nearby before darting toward Shen Qinghan.
He ducked behind her, clutching her arm tightly.
"Miss Shen, save me!" Ye Cheng’s heart rate was practically hitting two hundred.
Shen Qinghan: "…"
Ye Cheng peeked sideways and saw the little secretary pouting as she whispered something to Dongfang Zhixia, whose expression darkened. After scolding the secretary briefly, Dongfang Zhixia stood up and strode toward Ye Cheng and Shen Qinghan.

'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.

th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"

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."