The private room was filled with a tense atmosphere. In the Langya region, the Lin Family was the undisputed ruler.
Who would dare offend the Lin Family?
Yet right before them stood two individuals who not only dared but even addressed the mighty Lin Xiangliu by name!
In Langya, Lin Xiangliu was not just the strongest cultivator but a living legend, a myth.
He was the idol all cultivators worshipped and the figure they dreamed of surpassing.
Yet when Chen Chang'an and Xuan Wudao mentioned Lin Xiangliu, their tone was casual, almost indifferent.
Their demeanor showed no signs of pretense.
Lin Ruoheng frowned deeply. Were these two deceiving him, or did they truly know the Lin Family’s revered ancestor?
"Hmph, if you truly knew our ancestor, you’d be aware he’s been in seclusion for years," Lin Ruoheng sneered, testing them further before making any rash judgments.
"You can’t just demand to see him whenever you please."
"Seclusion, you say?"
"I wasn’t aware. It’s been… a thousand years since we last met. This is my first time in Langya," Chen Chang'an replied nonchalantly.
A thousand years?
Did this man know Lin Xiangliu from a millennium ago?
But back then, Lin Xiangliu had been nothing more than a youth.
"I’ve never even met him—just heard of him," Xuan Wudao added dismissively.
"After living this long, I’ve no interest in keeping tabs on some junior."
Holy—
This one went even further, outright calling Lin Xiangliu a "junior"!
Lin Ruoheng’s composure wavered. Had he truly offended two formidable figures today?
"Forgive my ignorance, esteemed seniors," he stammered, suddenly at a loss for words.
"I only meant to…"
"Enough. We won’t hold a grudge against someone as young as you," Xuan Wudao cut in impatiently.
"The girl’s made herself clear—she’s not interested. Why keep harassing her?"
"Let her go. Spare yourself the torment too."
Lin Ruoheng hesitated. Clearly, he was a lovesick fool, still clinging to feelings for Gu Xian'er.
No one knew what charm she’d used to ensnare him so deeply.
Yet Gu Xian'er harbored no ill intent. Otherwise, she could’ve easily feigned affection, biding her time to avenge the Gu Family.
Chen Chang'an couldn’t tell whether she hadn’t considered this, scorned such tactics, or had other reasons.
As Lin Ruoheng remained indecisive, Chen Chang'an spoke softly,
"White hair isn’t replaced by snow; merely meeting was fortune enough."
"Lin Ruoheng, not all affections bear fruit. Some people, simply crossing paths with them in this life, is blessing enough."
"No talk of betrayal, no questions of the future. Part ways peacefully, and leave each other be."
His words plunged Lin Ruoheng into deep reflection. Even Gu Xian'er’s gaze flickered, visibly moved.
Only Xuan Wudao scoffed on the sidelines, shooting Chen Chang'an a look of mixed envy and disdain.
"Show-off," he muttered.
"Pah!"
"Can’t even speak like a normal person anymore."
"Da Huang, ignore him. Let’s have our own fun—leave him to his grandstanding."
Bored by the drama, Xuan Wudao turned back to his revelry.
At this moment, Da Huang lay nestled in the arms of a young woman, grinning from ear to ear, his eyes narrowed into slits as he rolled around gleefully in her embrace. The shameless antics of this pair—one human, one dog—were too much for Chen Chang'an to bear.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. This junior… will remember it."
"I won’t disturb you any longer, Senior. I take my leave."
"Very well. Oh, and when Lin Xiangliu emerges from seclusion, tell him to come find me. I have some questions for him."
"This… I will relay your message to the elders of my family and have them pass it along."
It was clear that although Lin Ruoheng was a member of the Lin Family, he had no direct access to a revered ancestor like Lin Xiangliu.
After Lin Ruoheng departed, Gu Xian'er turned to Chen Chang'an and said gratefully, "Thank you for your help, Senior."
"It was nothing."
"I happen to be… fond of stories."
"Come, tell me yours."
Chen Chang'an was a man of many virtues, but he had one weakness—gossip. Especially stories he hadn’t heard before, which never failed to pique his curiosity.
"This… What exactly would you like to know, Senior?" Gu Xian'er asked awkwardly.
"Hmm, many things. Why did the Lin Family annihilate the Gu Family? And if they did, why is Lin Ruoheng, a member of the Lin Family, so devoted to you?"
"As a survivor of the Gu Family, why haven’t you used Lin Ruoheng’s feelings to seek revenge?"
"…Or perhaps you should just tell it in your own words."
Hearing this, Gu Xian'er let out a bitter laugh. Wasn’t this just a roundabout way of asking her to recount the entire story from beginning to end?
"Then… let’s find a quieter place."
There were still other girls from Huanhua Pavilion nearby. Though Gu Xian'er knew she couldn’t stay here much longer, some things were better left unknown to them.
"Very well."
Chen Chang'an nodded. He had considered asking Xuan Wudao and Da Huang for their thoughts, but seeing how thoroughly they were enjoying themselves, he realized even entertaining the idea was foolish.
Gu Xian'er led Chen Chang'an to her private chambers.
Her room carried a faint, soothing fragrance—neither overpowering nor cloying, but enough to calm the mind.
The decor was simple and unadorned, starkly out of place in an establishment like a pleasure house.
Perhaps this was a privilege reserved only for the courtesans of the highest rank.
"Please have a seat, Benefactor."
"No need to call me that. I merely said a few words."
"Besides, Lin Xiangliu of the Lin Family is an old acquaintance of mine. Don’t think a few words from you will sway me to act against them," Chen Chang'an said with a faint smile as he took a seat.
"You misunderstand, Benefactor. Xian'er harbors no such intentions."
"Good."
Hearing his words, Gu Xian'er remained composed and sat across from him.
"Actually, Lin Ruoheng is merely a young master from a branch family of the Lin Family."
"And my Gu Family was never a prominent clan in Langya to begin with."
"This matter… began a year ago."
As Gu Xian'er recounted the events, Chen Chang'an pieced together the gist of it.
Hmm… It was nothing more than a careless remark from a junior of the Gu Family, overheard by members of the Lin Family.
The ones who carried out the extermination of the Gu Family were the very branch family Lin Ruoheng belonged to.
Coincidentally, Lin Ruoheng and Gu Xian'er had already known each other before this, and he had secretly developed feelings for her.
At first, Gu Xian'er didn’t particularly like Lin Ruoheng, but she held some favorable feelings toward him.
When the Gu Family was annihilated, it was only after Lin Ruoheng’s desperate pleas that Gu Xian'er’s life was spared. However, Lin Ruoheng’s father, fearing any future entanglement between the two, issued an order: from that day onward, Gu Xian'er was forbidden to leave the borders of Langya. She was condemned to spend the rest of her days in the Huanhua Pavilion.
This was meant to crush any lingering hopes Lin Ruoheng might have—after all, even as a branch member of the Lin Family, how could a young master ever marry a woman from a pleasure house?
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Lin Ruoheng turned out to be a hopeless romantic, persistently pursuing Gu Xian'er despite everything.
"So it seems this Lin Ruoheng is quite the devoted lover," Chen Chang'an remarked lightly.
"You jest, Benefactor. Though Lin Ruoheng is barely past twenty, he’s never been short of women around him."
"His so-called devotion is nothing more than the frustration of unrequited love—a refusal to accept defeat!"
Had Lin Ruoheng truly been a steadfast and devoted man, Gu Xian'er might have hesitated. But the young master was tainted by the habits of a spoiled noble. With his status, few women could resist his advances—Gu Xian'er was the rare exception.
And perhaps that only fueled his competitive spirit and desire to possess her.
"Have you never considered using Lin Ruoheng’s status to avenge the Gu Family?"
Gu Xian'er had shared much, yet she never once mentioned revenge or showed any trace of hatred. This puzzled Chen Chang'an.
"I’ve thought about it. But it’s impossible."
"First, I refuse to manipulate someone’s feelings for my own ends."
"Second, even if I were willing, it wouldn’t succeed."
"Third, as long as I live, the Gu Family’s bloodline endures. If I die, the Gu Family… will truly vanish."
Gu Xian'er was clear-headed, refusing to let vengeance cloud her judgment. She wanted justice, but she wouldn’t gamble on a reckless plan.
"Benefactor, I won’t ask you to do anything for me."
"But… may I beg to become your disciple?"
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
