"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.
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'!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
