Shen Nian had always been generous.
Even if the loli girl might have drawn a caricature of him in her notebook and mercilessly mocked it, he could brush it off with a laugh.
Being tolerant and magnanimous was a traditional virtue of rookie adventurers like them—perfectly normal.
A seating rearrangement chart was posted at the back of the classroom, with several classmates crowded around it, chattering noisily. Shen Nian found it too loud, so he dragged Chen Dong out to the hallway for a chat.
"You really have a childhood sweetheart?"
"Yeah, she goes to the neighboring No. 1 High."
"Damn, a top student too? What's her name?"
"None of your damn business. You’re not actually thinking of cucking me, are you?"
Shen Nian pointed at him like an accusatory husky.
"Piss off. I’d beat up any cuckold I see, or maybe even join them—wait, no! Anyway, I’m not a cuck, so don’t slander me, alright? Isn’t it normal for a father to care about his son’s love life?"
Chen Dong frowned, suddenly realizing that the third floor wasn’t all that high, and contemplated letting Shen Nian test the durability of concrete.
"I’ll end you."
"Damn, patricide now?!"
"Fine, fine, you bastard." Chen Dong started with a suppressed curse. Though he didn’t smoke Rick No. 5, he still had a bit of that untainted innocence in him.
"Why haven’t you mentioned her before?" Shen Nian pressed.
It was hard to believe Chen Dong had a love interest—or even a fling. His social media was all game shares, and he never brought up the topic. Some people couldn’t wait to announce their crushes to the world, but Chen Dong kept his tightly under wraps, like a hidden treasure.
"Nothing worth mentioning. You never asked."
"Fair enough. Buy me a drink."
"?"
Zero hesitation, straight to mooching? Fine, fine.
Shen Nian successfully scored a free cola. On the way back, Chen Dong wouldn’t stop ranting, cursing both the school principal and the convenience store owner.
This damn school charged exorbitant rent, and the store jacked up prices accordingly. A three-yuan soda outside cost four-fifty here—a 50% markup.
"Damn, why not just rob us outright? Bunch of idiots."
"Exactly, exactly," Shen Nian agreed. Because of the inflated prices, he preferred stocking up on snacks outside and stuffing them in his backpack, only buying ice cream at school.
Rumor had it the store was run by a relative of the principal, monopolizing business at No. 2 High.
Between the school’s sky-high rent and the store’s outrageous prices, Shen Nian refused to take sides—both could go to hell.
During the last self-study period before exams, no one was in the mood to study. Su Kexi was on duty at the podium but mostly ignored the low murmurs, pretending not to hear the quiet rustling.
But some people pushed their luck, openly playing tic-tac-toe right under the teacher’s nose, and not even quietly.
"Huang Chen, quiet," Su Kexi scolded, calling him out by name.
Huang Chen immediately clammed up, but it wasn’t long before he started whispering again.
He clicked his tongue, half-turning to chat with the girl behind him. "Lin Xiyuan, we’re in the same exam room tomorrow."
"Yeah." Lin Xiyuan replied indifferently, barely glancing at him.
"We’ll be sitting pretty close, heh."
"...What’s your point?"
"Just, y’know, don’t block my view, alright?"
Ah, so cheating was the plan.
"I’ll be doing my own test."
"No problem, no problem." Huang Chen flashed an OK sign.
Lin Xiyuan was in a sour mood.
Ever since her fight with Xia Yanchun, she’d barely spoken during self-study. Even when she wasn’t studying, she kept to herself.
Only after quieting down did she realize how noisy she used to be.
Huang Chen now was just an amplified version of her past self—except louder and more relentless.
Ugh, so annoying. She really wanted to snap at him:
"Stop talking to me. Can’t you see I’m studying? I don’t want to talk to you, and by the way, your breath stinks."
But she couldn’t. Huang Chen was part of her social circle, and saying something that harsh would ruin the delicate balance.
Even if he weren’t, blurting that out would destroy their classmate relationship.
As the queen of social circles, maintaining harmony was crucial.
She didn’t want to ruin relationships—which was why, even after clashing with Xia Yanchun, she’d been the one to apologize first.
Exhausted, she buried her face in her hands.
Huang Chen stole a glance at Lin Xiyuan, his heart racing. "Xiyuan, after the exams, it’s the sports festival. Any plans?"
"Uh... just staying at school, I guess."
"On the third day, we’re going out to eat. Are the girls joining?"
"No idea. Ask someone else." Lin Xiyuan waved him off as the teacher began patrolling the aisles. She shot Huang Chen a look and stopped talking.
Exams were tomorrow. She needed to focus.
When self-study ended, she grabbed her water bottle for a refill, only to find the dispenser empty. Instinctively, she looked at Shen Nian.
"Shen Nian, can you change the water for me?"
"Sure." Shen Nian swiftly swapped in a new bottle—part of the throne’s responsibilities.
"Thanks."
"No problem." He grinned, then patted Xia Yanchun’s shoulder. "Let’s go."
"Okay." Xia Yanchun nodded, hoisting her backpack and walking out with him.
Lin Xiyuan stood frozen, lost in thought, as water overflowed from her cup.
Outside, street vendors lined the roads. Shen Nian bought a skewer of fried snacks for about ten yuan.
"Don’t look at me. You’re not getting any."
"Who wants yours? Like I can’t afford my own." Xia Yanchun rolled her eyes and bought her own portion, finishing most of it on the way home.
"Which class are you in?" Shen Nian nudged her with his elbow. Even with little force, Xia Yanchun swayed like a doll in the wind.
Ever since realizing how intimate their interactions were, Shen Nian couldn’t help noticing how soft and delicate she seemed.
Chun, you’re a sweet, silly little idiot.
"Class 3," Xia Yanchun muttered, ignoring him.
"Damn, I’m in 18. Sixth floor."
"Serves you right. Hope you run yourself ragged."
"Bastard. Don’t sleep too soundly tonight."
"But Li Shiyan’s in your class."
"The loli girl? Sweet."
"Not sweet at all. Stop teasing her, okay? Li Shiyan’s not good with that."
Shen Nian scratched his head. He didn’t think he was that bad—it wasn’t like he gave her a mean nickname. Before he called her "loli girl," that was already her online handle.
Maybe tomorrow he’d let Li Shiyan call him by his own cringey username—[I’ll Marry Eight Wives]. He wouldn’t mind.
"Depends. Today she drew some unflattering art of me, and I didn’t even care. What’d she draw, anyway?"
"You eating ten pounds of crap."
"?"
Too lenient on her.
Yanxi Reminder: Due to Tomato’s demand for 3M+ daily requests straining the servers, we now recommend switching to other big players’ sources.
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.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
