Shen Nian grabbed Xia Yanchun's hand, placed it against his chest, and pressed down with a little force, too lazy to entertain her complaints.
The beautiful anime girl lap pillow that usually only exists in fiction was something Shen Nian was finally enjoying right now.
He comfortably shifted his head. Even through her pants, he could feel the softness of the girl's thighs. It was incredibly comfortable.
To be able to enjoy Chunbao's lap pillow, he would even be willing to score the highest in the provincial exams.
"Hmph."
Xia Yanchun pouted, glaring at him sullenly.
"Time to get up."
"I'm about to fall asleep."
"I'll hit you."
"..." Shen Nian obediently got up from her lap.
They were already boyfriend and girlfriend, yet he couldn't even lie on her lap for a little while. His feelings were wasted after all. He needed to give Chunbao a kiss to feel better.
So, as soon as Shen Nian sat up, he gave Xia Yanchun a peck on the cheek, grinning happily.
Xia Yanchun wiped her face, looking thoroughly disgusted.
After playing together for a while, Chen Minyue and Shen Shi came downstairs. With others around, Xia Yanchun and Shen Nian weren't as affectionate.
It was better to keep an appropriate distance in front of their families; they weren't ready to make their relationship public just yet.
At night, Shen Nian was bored and watched online classes alone in his room.
He had originally planned to buy a phone stand to do a study room livestream, but he still hadn't placed the order. The livestream idea had long been tossed to the back of his mind.
According to the lunar calendar, it was the first day of the New Year, but on the Gregorian calendar, today was already February 17th. The winter break was coming to an end, and there were only a hundred and ten days left until the college entrance examination.
Shortly after returning to school, there would be the hundred-day pledge rally.
Shen Nian gathered his thoughts and checked the time. Eleven thirty.
It was time to sneak around and climb through the window.
Shen Nian took a sip of water and began sneaking over to Xia Yanchun's house. He didn't care if anyone saw him. If an acquaintance spotted him and told Aunt Wen and Uncle Xia that he frequently climbed into Xia Yanchun's room, he would just accept his fate.
Otherwise, they could always let their daughter Xia Yanchun climb into his room instead.
Although it wasn't like she hadn't done that before, hehe.
Xia Yanchun was applying a face mask in front of the mirror, smoothing it out bit by bit. She heard the noise on the balcony but didn't pay it much mind.
The only way someone could reach her balcony from the outside, apart from climbing over from Shen Nian's room, was by setting up a tall ladder on the first floor and climbing up.
Slide—
The balcony window was pulled open. Shen Nian tiptoed inside, casually closing the window and drawing the curtains behind him.
"That mask makes you look like a ghost," Shen Nian said as he slipped under the covers to warm the bed for her. It was quite cold today.
"And you look like a thief."
"A thief of hearts? Did I steal your heart?"
"Idiot."
"Curse me all you want." Shen Nian let it go in one ear and out the other, lying on his side to play on his phone.
He had seen his own mom apply face masks before. It took at least twenty minutes, and it was inconvenient to even speak.
What was the point of these face masks anyway? At best, they hydrated the skin. But he had never seen Xia Yanchun's skin look dry; it was smooth and uncracked. Did she even need hydration?
"Ah, there's another mask here. Do you want to put one on?"
"No need, my skin is perfectly fine."
"You can still use it even if it's fine. It won't hurt."
Shen Nian still shook his head. He could maintain his skin by eating beauty-enhancing foods. If he really wanted to take care of his skin, face masks wouldn't even make the list.
Having this wet, sticky thing plastered on his face was just too uncomfortable.
Xia Yanchun didn't say much more and quickly climbed into bed.
The covers were already warm. Xia Yanchun was very satisfied with Shen Nian's bed-warming efforts. "You're not bad. As a reward, you can bring a basin of water over later for me to wash my face. I'm too lazy to get up."
"Where did this princess syndrome come from? I'll give you two punches."
"Tch, stingy." Xia Yanchun tugged at his shoulder. "You won't even take care of your girlfriend. There's no love between us anymore!"
"Whoa, does that mean you loved me before this?"
"Hmph, no. But if you bring the water basin over for me to wash my face, there will be."
Shen Nian was almost moved to tears. How did this darn Chunbao get so good at flirting?
Good thing he was a step ahead, otherwise who knew how Xia Yanchun would have trained him.
"I'm still not going."
"I'll kick you."
The little foot under the blanket gently kicked Shen Nian's leg.
Ten or so minutes later, Xia Yanchun emerged from the warm bed again and dashed to the bathroom to wash her face.
Her small face, freshly treated with the mask, was tender and soft. Xia Yanchun was very satisfied, pinching and touching it in front of the mirror.
But her smile soon faded.
She hadn't noticed it earlier, but now she saw a pimple growing on her forehead. When she hadn't noticed it, it didn't hurt or itch, but now that she did, it started to feel a bit itchy, and pressing it lightly hurt.
She had eaten quite a few heat-inducing snacks over the past few days, combined with pulling an all-nighter last night into this morning. As expected, a breakout was unavoidable.
Xia Yanchun didn't care too much, though. Compared to a pimple, she wanted a warm bed much more right now.
"Phew!"
Xia Yanchun quickly lay down and turned off the light with a click. The only thing illuminating the room was Shen Nian's phone screen. As soon as the light went out, the phone's screen brightness automatically dimmed.
"I've gotten a pimple. I need to go to sleep early tonight."
Shen Nian put down his phone and turned to her. "Where?"
"Here." Xia Yanchun grabbed Shen Nian's hand and placed his finger on her forehead, right on the freshly erupted pimple. "It wasn't there this afternoon. I'm not staying up late anymore, and neither are you, hear me?"
"Is it really that big of a deal over one pimple?"
"Yes, it is! Maintaining good skin takes a lot of effort, okay?"
"Your good skin relies entirely on science and technology, while my good skin is all-natural. The gap is already obvious, Chunbao."
"What's wrong with using skincare products? Then don't kiss my 'technological' face."
"Ahem, just kidding, just kidding. Chunbao's skin is the best."
Shen Nian quickly hugged Xia Yanchun and rubbed his cheek against hers. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but Xia Yanchun's skin felt even smoother after the mask.
Shen Nian's face was a bit scratchy. Xia Yanchun half-squinted her eyes, really feeling like she could hardly tolerate him.
She actually preferred his rebellious attitude when he claimed her skin relied entirely on skincare products.
However... Shen Nian really didn't seem to use any skincare products. He probably didn't even use facial cleanser.
Many factors affect the skin. Staying up late is a major one, followed by high-oil and high-sugar diets, and excessive self-rewarding. Based on these three, Shen Nian should have hit every mark. Yet, even during his freshman and sophomore years, his skin had always been great, almost no different from now.
Compared to postnatal care, genetics truly had the upper hand.
Xia Yanchun was a little envious. There wasn't a girl in the world who didn't want better skin.
"Why are you touching me...?"
"Rubbing it for you. The pimple will be gone by tomorrow," Shen Nian said, gently rubbing her forehead with his thumb.
Although the Miracle Healer skill had a low presence, it could still shine when needed. Curing a pimple was a piece of cake.
"Time to sleep."
"Alright, alright."
Xia Yanchun tucked Shen Nian's hand under the covers and buried herself in his embrace.

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."

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!

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!