The streetlights in the residential complex were always on. During holidays, parents would bring their children to play underneath them—jump rope, badminton, shuttlecock kicking, or a few kids huddled together watching one child play on a phone.
Today wasn't a holiday; everyone needed to rest. There was almost no one downstairs in the complex. Occasionally, someone did pass by, but it was only a delivery rider hurrying to the elevator.
Xia Yanchun was lying on Shen Nian's back, feeling somewhat shy. At first, she didn't dare to look up, but after walking for a while and seeing no one around, she finally dared to keep her gaze forward, her small hands lightly gripping Shen Nian's shoulders.
Shen Nian hadn't spoken the whole time. Even when she bit his ear, he just tensed his neck a little. The faint trace of moisture was still visible on his earlobe.
Xia Yanchun secretly pinched it, wiping her own saliva clean. Her fingertip was damp, so she smeared it on Shen Nian's neck.
"Hurry back, don't wander around anymore..."
"Haven't finished carrying you around the whole block yet. What if next time you think I can't do it again?"
"I never thought you couldn't do it!"
"You clearly did. You never believe anything I say, always think I'm boasting. I have to prove myself."
"Are you an idiot? Prove what? How old are you, acting like a kid!"
Shen Nian adjusted the soft, petite person on his back, letting her settle her weight onto him. "No way. Who told you not to believe me? Since I'm already carrying you, I'm definitely taking you around the block no matter what."
"Stubborn to death, you are." Xia Yanchun grumbled. It seemed Shen Nian wouldn't give up until he had walked her around the complex.
Really, no way to deal with him... just like when they were kids, and now too...
Wearing thick clothes, Xia Yanchun could press her upper body completely against Shen Nian's back, not worrying at all about him taking advantage.
Shen Nian hadn't showered, but she could still catch a faint scent from him—not fragrant, not foul, but comfortable to smell.
Was it the same feeling when Shen Nian sniffed around her like a little puppy?
Her hands went from gripping Shen Nian's shoulders to loosely encircling his neck. Xia Yanchun let out a breath; her heart was beating fast. Shen Nian's body heat wafted from his collar, warming her face, making her feel like she was blooming.
Whenever they occasionally bumped into someone, she would bury her face. As long as others couldn't see her, it was Shen Nian who would be embarrassed.
People would only remember it was Shen Nian carrying a girl around late at night, and wouldn't know she was the one being carried. Later, she could even blend into the crowd, gossiping about that high schooler who carried someone around late at night, laughing at how silly, foolish, and goofy that high schooler was.
"Should we buy some fruit to take back and eat?"
"It's so late, what fruit? Buy it tomorrow."
"Alright. Almost done with the loop. Do you believe your buddy is awesome now?"
Xia Yanchun was taken aback, realizing belatedly that Shen Nian had already walked for so long?
This complex usually felt like a long walk just to fetch a package. Walking a full loop was clearly much farther, yet the time spent felt so short, so brief...
Xia Yanchun hugged a little tighter. "Does carrying me around the block make you very proud?"
"Just so-so. You're pretty heavy."
"You're the heavy one."
"Well, that's true. Okay, get down."
Shen Nian bent down, carefully letting the girl stand on the ground.
Carrying a hundred-pound person around the block wasn't much of a problem for him. He could have done it without even getting out of breath, but in front of Xia Yanchun, he still had to act a bit strained.
Hehe, the crying child gets the candy.
Shen Nian looked at Xia Yanchun expectantly, just waiting for Haki Chun to speak.
Thinking about Haki Chun giving him a hefty reward, Shen Nian couldn't help but hum lightly.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, Xia Yanchun blinked her almond-shaped eyes. "Why are you looking at me instead of pressing the elevator button?"
"Whew, exhausted, exhausted. Hey, did you ever ride those kiddie rides before? The ones that rock for a while for a dollar. Kinda miss them. Could actually ride for just a dollar back then."
"What are you talking about?"
Shen Nian scratched his head. Haki Chun didn't even get this?
He just wanted to remind Xia Yanchun that even kiddie rides cost a dollar to rock you around. He had carried Xia Yanchun for so long, surely she should give some kind of acknowledgment, right?
He was just greedy for wealth and lustful, not a bad person. Money wasn't a big deal, but as for the 'lust' part... could she give a little?
Shen Nian gestured animatedly, hemming and hawing, not knowing how to hint at her. Just as he was about to get straight to the point, Xia Yanchun chuckled again.
Her eyes curved, covering her mouth as she teased, "Do you want a reward?"
Ahem, what? You've misunderstood. But if you're planning to give one, I won't refuse either. Refusing a girl's kindness isn't my style.
"Sugar got you."
Damn, scolding again?" Shen Nian was angry at Ding Han.
After all the hard work carrying her around the whole block, all he got in return was a 'sugar got you'. Shen Nian felt his nose itch, as if a little red ball was about to grow.
"That's just how it is. I only wanted you to carry me to here. You were the one who insisted on going around the block. And now you want a reward... That's just your own wishful thinking. Things aren't that good."
Betrayed. Let's just be arch-enemies then. Later, we'll each take the elevator separately. I'll go first, you after.
"I'll go first! You take the next one!" Xia Yanchun refused to yield. "Didn't you say refusing girls isn't your style? Are you having a mental struggle now?"
Shen Nian was speechless, momentarily choked up. The elevator door opened, and he stepped in first, coughing twice. "Chun Bao is right. It's getting late, time to go home and sleep. I'll make you congee tomorrow."
That's more like it!
Xia Yanchun's expression remained unchanged on the surface, all mature and sister-like, not stooping to argue with childish people, but in her heart, she was already humming and blooming little flowers.
She stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for both their floors. After a moment of feeling heavy, the elevator door opened again.
Everything was fine before getting on the elevator, but when getting off, two of her fingers were already pulled into Shen Nian's palm.
Xia Yanchun didn't mind, really. If she didn't let him play with her hand a bit, he'd find some other way to take advantage anyway.
My younger brother is bad, and my older sister is good.
"Goodnight." Shen Nian took out his keys to open the door, exchanging goodnights with Xia Yanchun as usual.
But unexpectedly, today there was no response, nor the sound of a zipper being pulled or keys opening a door.
Shen Nian looked back. Xia Yanchun was clutching the strap of her backpack, with her back to her own door, facing his direction, but her gaze was fixed elsewhere.
"What's up? If you want to sleep with me, you can just say it."
"Definitely don't want that."
Xia Yanchun mumbled, took a deep breath, opened her arms, lowered her face, and hugged into Shen Nian's chest. "Thank you for carrying me around the whole block. Satisfied now?"
His embrace was fragrant. Shen Nian's large hands also rose, enveloping Xia Yanchun in his arms, his nose buried in the girl's hair. He didn't make a sound, just honestly enjoyed Xia Yanchun's hug for a moment.
"Mmm, let go..." Feeling the hug getting tighter and tighter, Xia Yanchun nuzzled against Shen Nian's chest.
Shen Nian ruffled her fluffy hair, leaned his forehead against hers, and narrowed his eyes. Because of their height difference, the tip of his nose just touched Xia Yanchun's.
Whenever Shen Nian did this, Xia Yanchun understood. Her breathing grew increasingly rapid, and her hands began to push lightly against Shen Nian's chest.
Guided by Shen Nian, they slowly melted into one another, and she couldn't help but rise onto her tiptoes.
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for over three million daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended that you use sources from other major providers.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
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!
] [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!"
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?"
