Returning to the neighborhood, Shen Nian made a detour to the Cainiao Station to pick up his package.
It was a beginner’s fishing rod he’d bought on Thursday night for two hundred yuan, complete with some freebies—bait and whatnot.
Forget about the quality for now, just focus on the bang for the buck.
Since he might only use it once, there was no need to splurge on something professional. For a complete novice like Shen Nian, who’d never even held a fishing rod before, a stick with a string tied to it would’ve worked just as well.
“Is that a fishing rod?”
“Yeah.”
“You actually bought one? You’re really going fishing?”
“Mhm. If I catch anything, I’ll give it to you. I prefer mine braised.”
“Pfft. Just say you want a free chef to mooch off of.” Xia Yanchun scoffed. “And who says you’ll even catch anything? I’ve seen people sit out there all day without a single bite.”
“Dunno. Just going for fun. If I don’t catch anything, no big deal. I can always resell the rod for some cash back.”
They each fished out their keys and unlocked their doors. Shen Nian stepped inside, swapping his shoes, only to freeze when the smell of cooked food hit him.
The cheerful “I’m home, sis!” died in his throat.
“You’re back? I made dinner—come eat!” Shen Yue emerged from the kitchen, proudly carrying a plate of sweet and sour pork.
“Uh… I already ate at school.” Shen Nian forced a sheepish grin.
“Oh, what a shame. Missing out on your big sister’s signature dish.” Shen Yue sighed dramatically. She’d stumbled upon a step-by-step cooking tutorial yesterday and, caught up in the moment, rushed to the supermarket to grab ingredients that afternoon.
She’d imagined Shen Nian coming home to a lovingly prepared feast—only for him to ruin the surprise by eating elsewhere.
Wait… were those purple skulls floating above the pork?
Shen Nian exhaled slowly. For a second there, he’d genuinely felt his life flash before his eyes. Good thing he was quick on his feet.
A near-death experience? No big deal.
He knew exactly what his sister’s cooking was like.
Picture this: a stray dog, starving for ten days, spots food on the ground and bolts over—only to realize it’s one of Shen Yue’s dishes. At that point, the dog would rather reincarnate on the spot than take a bite.
Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. It’s just… not great. The texture’s a mess, though someone with bizarre taste buds might enjoy it.
Shen Yue wasn’t hungry either, so she covered the dish and left it on the table. Noticing the long package in Shen Nian’s hands, she tilted her head curiously.
“What’d you buy?”
“Fishing rod.”
“Why?”
“To fish. What else? Tie a carrot to a pig and ride it into battle?”
Shen Yue massaged her temples. “Let me guess—you saw some fishing videos and got hooked. Don’t tell me this is another one of your three-minute passions.”
Shen Nian bristled. “Not like I used your money. If you’ve got a problem, Venmo me two hundred.”
“…”
This guy really had the audacity to mooch and sass her at the same time.
Shen Yue wasn’t actually mad—just worried he’d lose interest by tomorrow and let the rod collect dust.
But whatever. He’d already bought it. Maybe it was just stress relief from the pressures of senior year. She’d let it slide.
“Just don’t come crying to me when you blow through your allowance. When are you going?”
“Tomorrow… afternoon, probably.”
“Fine. But don’t go somewhere remote. And if a fish gets away, don’t jump in after it—even if you can swim.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll just hit up the park nearby.”
“Suit yourself. Want some pork?”
“Haha, no thanks. I’m gonna hang at Xia Yanchun’s.”
Shen Nian bolted before she could insist. Staying any longer would’ve been suicide.
Xia Yanchun’s place was right across the hall. He knocked twice, and after a long pause, the door cracked open just enough for her to peer out.
“What?”
“Came to hang out.”
“Nothing fun here.”
“Let me in.” Shen Nian wedged his foot in the gap and shoved his way inside.
Xia Yanchun flushed with irritation. “You’re such a creep!”
“I didn’t eat. Mooching dinner.”
“All I’ve got is instant noodles.”
“Then I’ll have instant noodles.”
Xia Yanchun rolled her eyes and gave up, tossing two packets at him from the kitchen. “Make mine too. Water’s already boiling.”
“Got it.”
No complaints from Shen Nian—her house, her noodles, her AC.
The layouts of their apartments were identical, and the decor wasn’t too different either. The main distinction? Xia Yanchun’s place was spotless, with far less hair on the floor.
When it came to chores, she put the Shen siblings to shame—daily tidying, deep cleaning every three days.
Meanwhile, Shen Yue just bossed Shen Nian around. If he slacked off, her room and the living room would drown in long strands of hair. (His own room fared slightly better.)
Being at Xia Yanchun’s felt like home.
She flicked on the electric kettle and emerged from the bathroom to find Shen Nian snooping around, even peeking into her bedroom. Another eye-roll.
“Didn’t Shen Yue make dinner or order takeout?”
“She did. But eating it might kill me.”
Xia Yanchun smirked. “I’m telling her you dissed her cooking.”
“Go ahead. Like you’d eat it either.”
“Heh. True.”
Instant noodles were the worst—one pack left you hungry, two made you sick of them.
They neither filled a high schooler’s stomach nor satisfied their taste buds. Just a sad, greasy compromise.
After slurping down his noodles, Shen Nian felt oddly hollow.
Post-meal existential crisis, maybe.
“When are you leaving?” Xia Yanchun hugged a pile of clothes, clearly itching to shower.
“Not leaving.”
“Then take the express route—no elevator, no stairs.”
“Wow. Kicking me out?” Shen Nian crossed his arms, planting himself stubbornly on the floor.
The rebellion was on. If she’d said, “Stay the night, sweetheart,” he’d have left immediately.
…Eventually. Maybe tomorrow.
“Hurry up. I need to shower.”
“What’s stopping you? I’m not in the bathroom.”
“Have some decency, Shen Nian.” She glared.
“Oh, so now you’re suddenly conscious about ‘boys and girls’? Thought you didn’t see me as a guy.” He stood, feigning heartbreak.
“I’m visiting Shen Yue after my shower.”
“No. Please don’t.”
“Too bad.”
“Fine, I’m going. Rolling out as we speak.”
Shen Nian vanished with ninja-like speed, pulling the door shut behind him.
One Shen Yue was trouble enough. Add Xia Yanchun to the mix, and he’d have to crash elsewhere for the night.
The last time Xia Yanchun came over was two months ago.
She and Shen Yue were close—they’d exchanged spare keys, so dropping by unannounced was fair game.
And that’s exactly how Shen Nian’s life had crashed and burned two months prior.
Late-night overtime for Shen Yue meant Shen Nian had the place to himself.
Front door locked, bedroom door not. Headphones on, world off.
Which also meant he didn’t hear Xia Yanchun knocking before she let herself in.
Funny? All he saw was a pilot’s career going down in flames.
---
Short chapter today, sorry!
Yanxi’s reminder: Due to Tomato’s servers buckling under 3M+ daily requests, we recommend switching to other sources for now.
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】
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!
] [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!"
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)
