This was the first time Shen Nian had held both of Xia Yanchun's hands.
The veins on her hands were clearly visible, with only fine downy hair and pores. Her skin was snow-white, soft and cool to the touch, warming up only after being held in his palms for a while. The sensation of his fingertips grazing the back of the girl's hand put him in a pleasant mood.
Xia Yanchun leaned forward slightly. If he gave her hands a tug, she could easily tumble right into him.
But Shen Nian didn't do that. He wanted to savor the feel of Xia Yanchun's delicate little hands a bit longer, to enjoy another taste of her growing shyness.
Xia Yanchun's face gradually grew warm. She indulged him for about ten seconds before taking advantage of his focused fondling to pull her hands back, tucking them against her chest where he couldn't reach.
"Had enough yet?!"
"Well, would you look at that," Shen Nian scratched his head, looking a bit silly, "Evolving into a tomato right in front of me, huh, you little rascal..."
"I'll hit you, I swear."
"I believe you, I believe you."
Xia Yanchun cupped her face, feeling the heat. There was no hiding it now, so she simply gave up trying, resigning herself to letting Shen Nian stare at her from every angle.
Blushing wasn't a one-time or even two-time thing anymore. Shen Nian was a bit over the top. Unable to contain herself, she padded off in her slippers to the bathroom to splash water on her face. The hair on her forehead was now damp and plastered to her skin, making her look even more delicate.
Xia Yanchun opened her room door and window to create a cross-breeze. The autumn wind on the high floor was strong, pressing her clothes tightly against her body and instantly tousling her hair.
"You don't care about my feelings at all, do you? Just focused on your own fun, daring to say anything."
Her cheeks were slightly puffed.
Shen Nian propped his chin on his hand. "What did I say? I stopped talking when you told me to, didn't I?"
"..."
The truth was exactly that. Shen Nian hadn't said anything, yet he had said everything. His decision to "eat the grass right by the nest" had been made clear long ago, without any pretense.
What kind of person Shen Nian liked was something they both knew perfectly well. She couldn't deny it.
Xia Yanchun sat back down at her desk, crossing her arms and speaking softly, "Shen Nian, I've always thought of you as a buddy."
"What a coincidence, I think of you as a buddy too. Hey buddy, why do you smell so nice?"
"Shut up. I still need to study. I can't get any reading done with you here. I'm fining you eight hundred."
"Then don't study. What's the point of accumulating essay material? I just make stuff up and still get around fifty points."
"That's why you only get around fifty, while I've gotten full marks. Details determine success or failure, you know."
"What's the use of full marks in monthly or midterm exams? It's only impressive if you get full marks in mock exams or the college entrance exam."
"That's still more impressive than your fifties. Beat me first, then you can talk." Xia Yanchun snorted. When it came to academics, she could practically look down on everyone from a great height.
She wouldn't dare call herself a genius, but she was definitely among the top of the class.
Shen Nian fell silent, because he really couldn't beat Xia Yanchun's scores.
Those academic prodigies who seemed to study casually at school but still scored high actually put in effort where others couldn't see. Xia Yanchun was like that. After mastering the class material, she still spent time memorizing essay examples.
There were real reasons why top students became top students. Shen Nian had to hand it to her.
Staying quiet didn't mean staying still. Shen Nian slowly leaned down, reached out, and poked Xia Yanchun's pinky finger with his index finger, his meaning obvious.
Xia Yanchun closed her book, raised it high, and brought it down with a loud thwack. If Shen Nian hadn't pulled his hand back quickly, the heavy blow would have landed right on it.
"Didn't I let you touch them already?!"
"Just keep studying. Don't mind me, okay?"
"..."
Seeing Xia Yanchun silent, Shen Nian grew bolder. His index and middle fingers turned into two little legs, sneaking his hand over again.
Xia Yanchun didn't resist, but she couldn't focus on her book anymore either. She rested her cheek on the book, pillowed on her own arm, and watched as Shen Nian toyed with and played with her five fingers, her thoughts in disarray.
The blush on her face refused to fade. Only her dark, glistening eyes were visible.
It wasn't the first time Shen Nian had held her hand, but it was the first time she watched so directly, so intently, as he manipulated her fingers.
Usually, when she indulged Shen Nian, she would turn her face away.
She didn't know what was so fun about five fingers and a palm, but Shen Nian seemed to really like it.
...Hands?
Xia Yanchun clenched her hand slightly. Some rather indecent thoughts began popping up in her mind.
These indecent thoughts didn't appear out of nowhere. They were based on things she'd seen with her own eyes, leaving a deep impression. She felt Shen Nian was that kind of person. Maybe, in places she couldn't see, Shen Nian imagined doing very inappropriate things to her in his mind, fantasizing about her striking suggestive poses to satisfy some perverted desire.
One hand was being held by Shen Nian. With the index finger of her other hand, which was pillowing her head, she pointed at him. "You're a pervert."
"Whoa, why didn't you say so earlier?"
For someone who enjoyed browsing online forums more than checking the school's confession wall, such name-calling was neither painful nor itchy.
Shen Nian was immune to insults, looking completely like 'you only figured that out now?', just as Xia Yanchun was immune to compliments. When others praised her, she would also lift her chin and reply with a similar line.
"Stupid dog." Xia Yanchun continued to berate him.
"You too."
"Idiot."
"And you're a dumbass."
Xia Yanchun felt he was hopeless. Even though he talked back, no amount of scolding seemed to anger him. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it a little.
Xia Yanchun also grabbed Shen Nian's hand. Her hand wasn't as big as his; she could only just close her grip around four of his fingers. Just three or four years ago, Shen Nian was still so small. Now, she always felt Shen Nian's whole being carried a certain aggressiveness. When he got close, he seemed to emit some kind of toxin that eroded rationality, making her imagination run wild. Combined with the sensation from their touching fingertips, the tips of her ears burned hot.
"Are you trying to hold my hand?"
"Absolutely not." Xia Yanchun shook him off, immediately withdrawing her hand. "Stop squeezing, you'll rub the skin off."
Shen Nian nodded. He'd had his fun anyway.
His heartbeat was a bit fast. Usually, he was the one touching Xia Yanchun. Today was like the sun rising from the west.
Did this mean Chunbao was starting to acknowledge the bit of ambiguity between them?
It wasn't too late. Xia Yanchun wasn't kicking him out, and he had no intention of leaving anyway. Seeing Xia Yanchun become a silent gourd and return to her book, Shen Nian shifted his attention to the system.
The hidden mission [Lucky Star] had been completed the moment he closed that family photo album.
He set the mission aside for now. After all, the system rewards weren't going anywhere. Compared to settling the mission, he still preferred the thrill of this ambiguous flirtation with Chunbao.
Rewards could be claimed anytime, but the thrill of this tension depended on the atmosphere. It wasn't every day he got to fondle Xia Yanchun's entire hand.
From two fingers to the whole hand... the ambiguous thrill was real. The ambiguous thrill was right. Thanks, Saint Open Source.
Shen Nian was determined to walk the path of ambiguous tension with a rival's flair.
The reward for [Lucky Star] was still quite generous.
A full ten thousand gold coins.
But that wasn't the main point. You couldn't buy a title with just ten thousand.
[Title: Lucky Star (Luck +5)]
Wearing it didn't conflict with existing titles.
If titles were visible, Shen Nian would have a long string of them floating above his head.
[Intermediate Adventurer] [Glimmer of Experience] [Lucky Star]...
Stacking buffs like crazy, so what if I'm using cheats?
Shen Nian decided to find some time to compare luck with the little loli girl.
To see whether his Lucky Star was more powerful, or the little loli's innate, divinely-blessed lucky constitution was superior.
They'd compete to see who had the bigger Meituan discount coupon.
They would use massive discount coupons to fill the merchant's meager profits.
Being able to complete this task was, in a sense, thanks to the little loli girl. If she hadn't come here, who knows when this photo album would have been dug out.
The system also mentioned that saving the Blood Demon might lead to treasure... not sure if this counts as treasure.
Regardless, the little loli girl deserves major credit. Tomorrow, she gets rewarded with two big bags of Leshi potato chips.
"Shen Nian, aren't you going to eat?"
The faint voice snapped Shen Nian back to attention.
"Just thinking about something," Shen Nian said, picking up a thumb-sized green grape and tossing it into his mouth, catching it perfectly.
"Thinking about what?"
"None of your business."
"If you won't say, it must be something you can't admit to," Xia Yanchun stated with certainty.
"You already said it's something 'unmentionable,' so of course I won't say. Presuming guilt without evidence, huh? I didn't say anything, and you're already imagining things," Shen Nian said, exasperated.
Noticing the blush had faded from Xia Yanchun's face, Shen Nian reached out and brushed all her hair back, exposing her entire clean, pale little face to the breeze.
His heartbeat rose and fell, growing clearer. After critiquing Xia Yanchun's appearance for a moment, Shen Nian haphazardly stuffed a handful of grapes into his mouth, stood up, left a "good night," and returned to the apartment across the hall.
With Shen Nian gone, and without him as a human-shaped heater, Xia Yanchun suddenly felt the room turn very cold. Too lazy to even put on shoes, she went to close the window, then grabbed her book and slipped into bed, lazily lying down.
After reading for a while, she suddenly found it utterly boring.
...
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for over 3 million daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended you use sources from other big shots.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
