After waddling around the living room like a penguin, Shen Nian guided Xia Yanchun toward the bedroom and flicked on the light.
As the room lit up, Shen Nian let go of Xia Yanchun's hand and drew the curtains closed.
"Are you sleeping here tonight?"
Xia Yanchun sat on the edge of the bed and nodded her little head. "...Okay."
Xia Yanchun really didn't mind whose room she slept in.
Unless something came up, her mom wouldn't wake her up early in the morning anyway, so she wasn't worried about getting caught.
"I haven't showered yet. Let me go wash up first," Shen Nian said while rummaging for his clothes.
"Yeah, I'll head back first. I'll come over later when it's time to sleep. Leave the window unlocked for me. If you don't open it the second I get here, I'll kill you."
"Ugh, got it. As if I'd leave you hanging outside. If you catch a cold, you'll just end up infecting me anyway."
"Hmph, just go take your shower."
Shen Nian chuckled. Holding his clothes, he walked up to Xia Yanchun and puckered his lips at her.
Xia Yanchun gave him a deadpan stare, blinked twice at the speed of light, and finally tapped her lips against his, pulling away the instant they touched.
In a great mood, Shen Nian obediently trotted off to take his shower.
Left alone, Xia Yanchun grumbled to herself for a good while. As she got up to leave and passed the bathroom, she could still hear the splashing of the showerhead.
"Shen Nian, you idiot!"
She yelled from outside the door and sprinted away.
As long as she couldn't hear Shen Nian cursing back, it was the same as him not cursing at all.
Just the thought of Shen Nian getting yelled at and not being able to retort, left to rage impotently in the bathroom, made her want to laugh. She could already picture it.
The night deepened. By ten-thirty, the neighborhood chatter finally died down as everyone returned to their own homes.
At eleven-thirty, Xia Yanchun specifically went down to the second floor to check.
Yep, the lights in her parents' room were already out.
Students had winter breaks, but working adults didn't. They still had to be at work by nine every morning, so they needed to guarantee their daily sleep.
Xia Yanchun's heart thumped wildly. Sneaking through a window into Shen Nian's house in the middle of the night, if any of the neighbors saw her, she would be dead meat for sure.
Fortunately, the family across the street, who had a clear view of both their houses, had moved to the city a long time ago. They only ever came back during the Lunar New Year to put up spring couplets and stay for three or four days.
Otherwise, her and Shen Nian's nighttime escapades would have been spotted ages ago, and it wouldn't be long before her parents started asking why she and Shen Nian were always climbing through windows in the middle of the night.
Sliding open the balcony window, Xia Yanchun carefully and stealthily stood on the edge of the balcony. Seeing that the light in Shen Nian's room was still on, she quickly climbed over.
The balcony was huge, so climbing across was actually quite safe. You would have to lie on the railing and roll over two and a half times to actually fall off. It was safe enough that even she dared to make the crossing.
"Phew..."
Once on Shen Nian's side, Xia Yanchun breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Hunching over, she pulled at the glass window door.
Good thing it wasn't locked. Xia Yanchun had half-expected Shen Nian to lock it on purpose just to piss her off.
At least Shen Nian had a conscience, otherwise he would have betrayed how incredibly nice she had been to him today.
The lights were still on, but Shen Nian wasn't in the room. Xia Yanchun didn't care; she just slid straight under his covers.
When Shen Nian came out of the bathroom and took a look, a wild Chunbao had spawned in his bed.
"You are here pretty early. I thought you wouldn't come over until midnight."
"I come when I want, and I leave when I want. I am just unique like that."
"Idiot."
"You are the idiot," Xia Yanchun huffed, pulling the blanket over herself. She had already drawn the curtains shut. In their private little space, she and Shen Nian could do whatever they wanted.
Except they couldn't make too much noise, which would easily draw the wardens. They definitely couldn't let his parents hear them.
"You damn little Chunbao, walking right into my trap and still acting so cocky." With a click, the room instantly plunged into darkness.
Before her eyes could even adjust to the dark, Xia Yanchun felt the bed shift beside her. She didn't even have to guess to know Shen Nian had lain down.
Shen Nian's large hands started tickling her. Wearing only a thin nightgown, Xia Yanchun was completely defenseless. She tried frantically to block him, but it was no use. She squealed in a panic, yet stubbornly refused to beg for mercy, nearly laughing herself to the point of exhaustion.
"Have you learned your lesson?"
"Get lost..." Xia Yanchun said weakly.
"Nope."
Shen Nian grinned, burying his face into Xia Yanchun's chest and rubbing against her. Then he lifted his head to kiss her hot cheeks, acting so clingy that Xia Yanchun was overwhelmed with shyness.
Was this guy worried they wouldn't be able to be intimate later, so he was trying to use up all his future affection tonight?
He felt even clingier than before!
Unable to hold back a soft pant, Xia Yanchun rubbed Shen Nian's messy hair.
"Hehe, Chunbao, you smell so good."
"Do I really smell that good? You are acting like a dog, and you still claim you are not a simp."
"Hmm?"
Shen Nian licked Xia Yanchun's lips.
"..."
Sure enough, she couldn't insult him. He would just use it as an excuse to take advantage of her.
Shen Nian was completely immune to her trash talk.
"Stop messing around, it is time to sleep!" Xia Yanchun said, annoyed and flushed. She pulled the blanket up a little higher. "I woke up early today, and I am already sleepy."
"You are sleepy? Let us go to sleep then."
Shen Nian nodded. Wrapping an arm around the girl's slender waist, he fluffed up her pillow, then gently nudged her to roll over so that her back was facing him.
Sleeping while holding her like this was the most comfortable. He could also rub her soft tummy, unable to keep his hands off her.
Xia Yanchun pressed down on the large hand that had slipped under her shirt hem to gently massage her stomach.
"My period is coming soon. You have to rub it for me like this then, too."
"Yeah, I can rub it all day long."
"You are just bragging."
"Glad you realize."
Xia Yanchun pinched Shen Nian's fingers. "Why aren't you trying to act tough anymore?"
"Because when I act tough, you say I am bragging."
"..."
It was true. Xia Yanchun's shoulders shook as she amused herself into a giggle.
She really was too tired; her brain was getting all muddled.
Xia Yanchun let out a yawn, fully prepared to get a good, beautiful night's sleep.
But the presence of the large hand on her tummy was too strong to completely ignore. The rhythmic, gentle kneading felt so soothing that she felt like she could sleep for twelve hours straight.
Xia Yanchun pursed her lips and poked the back of Shen Nian's hand with her finger.
"Chunbao..." Shen Nian pressed against the back of the girl's neck, his lips brushing against her skin in a totally unfair way.
Sensing Shen Nian's very dishonest intentions, Xia Yanchun's heart fluttered in panic, and an uncontrollable heat rushed through her.
She quietly pulled Shen Nian's hand out, fixed her pajama shirt, and then placed his hand just a little bit higher.
Shen Nian understood the hint and went with the flow.
His breathing was heavy, and his hand was clumsy. Xia Yanchun buried her face, panting softly, as the shyness in her heart flooded all the way to the tips of her ears.

m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!

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!

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."

ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!