Driving all the way back home.
Xia Yanchun hurried home because of her period.
There were always a few days like this every month. Although the timing was roughly the same, having to stay in the classroom for long hours every day made her feel quite uncomfortable.
Some people in the class liked to find excuses to ask for leave to go out and have fun. Shen Nian in the past had done it several times, deliberately working up a sweat and then taking a cold shower to induce a slight fever, thus getting a day off to enjoy himself.
Xia Yanchun hardly ever asked for leave. The last time she did was because she sprained her ankle.
As soon as she sent out her leave request, Su Kexi immediately approved it.
Top students definitely got special treatment. Forget about one evening self-study session, even getting three days off was easy. The school always turned a blind eye when top students asked for leave, after all, they relied on these students to boost the school's academic results.
She hadn't eaten yet, so she first took a comfortable hot bath. She soaked for a bit too long, and the takeout she had packed got cold. Not minding the trouble, she reheated it in the microwave.
Evening, right when evening self-study was starting.
Good thing Shen Nian had asked for leave.
He decided to watch online lectures all evening, to outwork everyone else, to outwork himself. He figured he could think about developing skills beyond studying once he was stable enough to aim for the top score in the college entrance exams. Maybe become a boss in the future.
Shen Nian didn't have any grand dreams. He just wanted to have money available when he needed it in the future.
Buying a car worth a hundred thousand? Just need to have the money.
Buying an apartment worth a million? Just need to have the money.
Acquiring a company worth tens of millions? Just need to have the money.
Haha, that's getting a bit carried away. Shen Nian felt his immediate priority was to get himself a "Divine Huang Zhong" in the game.
Shen Yue came back a bit late today. Seeing her look utterly miserable, Shen Nian knew she had been assigned tedious work again.
"Sis, can you send me fifty bucks?"
"......"
Shen Yue, who had returned full of resentment, felt like she died on the spot after hearing Shen Nian's question.
"Could you have a little conscience?"
"Hehe, just kidding."
"Is there any food?"
"Of course, I got you takeout." Shen Nian smiled and brought out the reheated meal for her.
"At least you have some conscience." Shen Yue, utterly exhausted, slumped into a chair like a limp pig.
Before she started working, Shen Yue would get scolded by their mom for being in this state at home. Now that she was working, this state seemed normal.
Work was work, and even entry-level positions in state-owned enterprises weren't easy.
Shen Yue chowed down on her food, then suddenly paused. She glanced at Shen Nian and said somewhat sheepishly, "Shen Nian, can you do me a favor? It's nothing major."
"If it's not major, why ask me? Handle it yourself."
"You misheard, I said it is major."
"If it's major, how can an eighteen-year-old high school student like me help? Handle it yourself."
"I'm asking you out of respect. Do you think refusing means you don't have to help?" Shen Yue dropped the act. "My e-bike ran out of battery. Can you go down later and plug it in to charge?"
Shen Nian broke into a sweat. "Why didn't you charge it when you got back?"
"I just forgot, okay? Help me this time and I'll top up your monthly game card next time, deal?"
"......"
In the past, Shen Nian would have scampered downstairs eagerly, because his allowance really wasn't enough for the monthly card.
But now... his savings were even more than Shen Yue's, and he didn't play games much anymore, so topping up the monthly card wasn't that useful.
"Forget it. How about this: you buy me a computer after I graduate. Monthly cards are too expensive anyway."
"?"
A computer costing several thousand is more expensive than a thirty or fifty yuan monthly card? That's some impressive logic.
Too bad he's her biological brother, otherwise she'd have already smacked him.
Shen Nian took the keys and went downstairs, found Shen Yue's little e-bike, and plugged it in to charge.
No helping it. His own older sister had worked all day; if he didn't help her, who would?
Considering Shen Yue had bought him the Naruto mobile game monthly card for two whole years when he was in 10th and 11th grade...
By the bushes next to the bike shed, Shen Nian came across a sleeping cat, curled up into a fluffy ball.
Unlike the north, it wasn't particularly cold in winter here in Cinan, so cats could still handle General Winter fairly easily.
The cat was quite tame. Shen Nian didn't want to see this warm, fluffy ball turn into a cold corpse.
Shen Nian squatted and watched for a while, poking its back with his finger. He wondered how old this cat was, and if it was still suitable for adoption.
"Meow..."
The cat's ears twitched. The little cat rolled over, saw someone nearby, immediately went into "spine dragon" mode, and hissed at Shen Nian.
Upon seeing it was Shen Nian, the cat awkwardly licked its paw and then rolled over, exposing its belly to him.
"Damn, you're quite the charmer." Shen Nian rubbed the cat's belly.
He didn't intend to adopt it; he just couldn't resist coming over to play with it when he saw it.
Mainly because the cat's fur pattern was hilarious. The markings on its face had a certain... style, and Shen Nian couldn't help but laugh every time he saw it.
A little girl with two pigtails ran over, looking curiously at Shen Nian and the cat. "Mister, what are you doing...?"
"Playing with the cat," Shen Nian said with a smile.
What else would he be doing, dating the cat? Some "Nekopara" scenario.
Shen Nian also recognized her; she was the little girl from around the start of the school term. Come to think of it, both she and this cat were part of where the dream began.
"Mister, aren't you going to feed the cat?" The little girl also squatted down, pulling a cat treat stick from her pocket.
"I'm just looking. Are there other cats in the complex?"
"There used to be, now there's only this one." The girl fed the cat the treat while stroking its fur. "My dad said I can keep it when I turn five. Hmph, then I'll let it eat cat treats every day. I've even thought of a name for it—I'll call it Cotton."
"Why?"
"Because it looks like cotton candy."
"......"
Chatting with a well-behaved, cute little girl like this occasionally really did improve one's mood.
Although Shen Nian's mood was already pretty good.
No one could predict the fate of the stray cats in the residential complex. Maybe one day, the property management would come with nets and round them all up. He hoped this cat could live safely and steadily until the day it got adopted.
A little cat touched by a 【Lucky Star】 should become luckier, right?
Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for 3 million+ daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended that you use sources from other experts/seniors:
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
