In the morning, the sky was clear and bright, but the temperature had dropped compared to the warmth of the previous two days.
As the Chinese New Year approached, it was time for it to get cold again.
Because Li Shiyan was around, Shen Nian hadn't hung out with Haji Chun for quite a while.
He had nothing to do all day yesterday. He studied in the morning and went fishing in the afternoon. He caught quite a few, but since he couldn't sell them, he had to bring them back, clean them, and put them in the fridge, giving more than half to his aunt and uncle.
Today was the fourth day the little loli girl had been here.
Shen Nian sat on the balcony basking in the sun. Today, he wore an extra long-sleeved shirt compared to the previous two days.
It was a bit chilly, but the sun shining on his body felt slightly warm. This was the most comfortable feeling.
Shen Nian had sharp ears. Hearing the sound of wheels rolling over the concrete ground below, he poked his head out and saw Xia Yanchun pushing an electric scooter out of the house, with Li Shiyan following behind, fully bundled up.
"Heading back?" Shen Nian asked out of the blue.
Xia Yanchun looked up. "Yeah, you can't get a cab here, so I'm dropping Shiyan off at the entrance of the town."
"It's market day today, so there will be a lot of cars. Drive safely." Shen Nian rested his head on his hands, then looked at Li Shiyan. "Bye-bye, come play again next time."
"Mhm, bye-bye." Li Shiyan waved her little hand.
Actually, there really wasn't much to do in town. Since returning from their picnic the day before yesterday, they had done absolutely nothing. Yesterday, they just played on their phones and watched TV all day.
If the town had any places worth visiting, it wouldn't be so underdeveloped. Li Shiyan still preferred the city.
It wasn't like she was spending the New Year here anyway. If she didn't head back soon, her family would start rushing her.
Xia Yanchun drove off slowly and leisurely, disappearing around a corner.
Shen Nian sat back down in his seat.
The little loli girl had gone back.
Shen Nian glanced at his phone. There were only four days left until the Spring Festival.
Shen Nian's family didn't have too many rules. The town was his hometown, and they didn't need to go to the village to worship the gods for the New Year. For their family, celebrating the New Year just meant staying home to paste spring couplets, eating a New Year's Eve dinner, spending a day visiting relatives, and giving and receiving red envelopes. Just like that, the New Year would pass.
Calculating the time, Shen Yue should be coming back soon too.
Time really flew by.
The Spring Festival was very late this year. After the festival, it would be almost time to go back to school. Right after returning to school would be the hundred-day pledge rally, and only after that would be the Lantern Festival.
With only a hundred days left until the college entrance examination, they would probably only get a half-day off in the afternoon for the Lantern Festival.
Shen Nian was in a good mood. At 11:40, he gave his older sister a call.
The call connected quickly.
"Hello, why are you calling me?" Shen Yue's lazy voice came from the other end of the line.
"When are you planning to come back?"
"Hmm... the day after tomorrow, I guess. Of course, if Lao Di can take care of all the chores and cooking, I can fly back tomorrow."
"So you're just avoiding coming home because you're afraid of splitting the chores with me?" Shen Nian sweatdropped. "And with the way you are, you complain all day about nobody pursuing you. You're so lazy, no wonder no one is chasing you. Anyone who could fall for a pig like you would have to be a god."
"..."
Shen Yue was practically brought to tears.
What's wrong with being single since birth? What's wrong with being single since birth? What's wrong with being single since birth?!
Harsh words hurt, and the people closest to you hurt you the deepest.
Hearing Shen Nian's words, Shen Yue wanted to go back even less. If she went back, she would probably be pressured to get married anyway.
But it was impossible not to go back for the Spring Festival...
Could this world really not tolerate a twenty-five-year-old, long-legged, curvy, pale-skinned, state-owned enterprise employee who had been single since birth?
"Just wait until I get back, I'm going to beat you up!"
Shen Yue shouted, and the call disconnected with a beep.
Shen Nian grinned. His sister really was something else.
He sent his sister two more WeChat messages.
[Shen Nian]: Come back soon, I'll take care of all the chores myself, okay?
[Shen Yue]: What about cooking?
[Shen Nian]: I'll do it, I'll do it, I'll do it.
[Shen Yue]: Then I'll go back tomorrow. If you're lying to me, I'll string you up and beat you.
If you knew, you'd know it was his sister. If you didn't, you'd think it was Xia Yanchun.
Shen Nian actually sensed Xia Yanchun's vibe from his sister's few words.
Haji Chun was practically Shen Yue's head disciple. When it came to bossing people around and dealing with him, the two of them were cut from the same cloth.
If his sister was coming back tomorrow, he would have to cook a table full of good food to welcome the return of the Empress.
Just as he was thinking this, Xia Yanchun returned on her electric scooter.
"Whew—" Standing by the railing, resting his head on his hands looking down, he let out a whistle.
Xia Yanchun parked the scooter and looked up in annoyance. "Can you act like a proper human being for once? You're just idling about all day, not acting at all like a high school student about to take the college entrance exams."
"Hey, hey, I don't like the sound of that. I just finished studying, alright? My books are right here. I also read all morning yesterday. What about you? Did you study properly yesterday?"
"I did. I studied with Shiyan yesterday too."
"I don't believe you."
"Don't believe me then," Xia Yanchun huffed, pulling out her keys to enter the house.
A moment later, the balcony window next door was pulled open. Xia Yanchun ran out in her slippers, having changed her clothes. When she left, she was wearing black sweatpants and a dark jacket, but now she was in her pajamas.
Xia Yanchun lay on the armchair with her legs crossed, leisurely basking in the sun, ignoring Shen Nian.
Her feet tapped against the railing one by one, kicking to rock herself back and forth. Shen Nian looked at her and chuckled foolishly.
"Hey, didn't you miss me?"
"Who are you? We're not close. I didn't miss you."
"But I missed you." Shen Nian suddenly vaulted over the balcony.
Xia Yanchun panicked for a second, thinking he had held back for days and finally couldn't take it anymore, about to do all sorts of things to her on the balcony in broad daylight.
She tensed up and shrank back, but Shen Nian just walked right past her into the room, pulled out a matching desk chair, and placed it beside her.
Shen Nian plopped down, smiling cheerfully as he took Xia Yanchun's small hand and placed it on his lap to play with.
Xia Yanchun pouted. "Have you been holding it in so much these past three days that it's driving you crazy?"
Shen Nian's face darkened. The more he listened to her words, the weirder they sounded.
"That sounds way too vulgar."
"I meant, did you miss me a lot these past three days? You have such a dirty mind."
"Talk about reversing right and wrong." Shen Nian blew a puff of air at her. "But it's true that I missed you."
Xia Yanchun rested her toes high up on the railing. The loose pant legs fell to her knees, but she didn't feel cold. Under the sunlight, her bare feet looked fair and clean, glowing softly.
"Heh, well I didn't miss you."
"Like I care." Shen Nian bared his teeth, pinching Xia Yanchun's soft, smooth cheek. "Let's go buy some fireworks later."
"Mhm, your treat."
"We can each buy a big box of firecrackers and go blow up cow dung."
"How old are you, still blowing up cow dung? Psycho," Xia Yanchun scolded.
"It's fine, Chunbao. We'll wear masks, so we don't have to worry about it exploding into our mouths."
Xia Yanchun was furious. That infuriating Shen Nian was bringing this up again!
"I told you I didn't eat any of it! Bring it up again and I'll kill you!"
"..."
Damn, she really was exactly like Shen Yue.
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."
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
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!
