There was a bookstore near the school.
These days, it seems people aren’t too fond of reading in bookstores. The spacious shop had only a handful of customers—students, middle-aged folks, elderly people—but no office workers, since it was a Tuesday and everyone was at work.
Shen Nian wasn’t much of a reader either. He only dropped by occasionally, or when the school required him to buy workbooks.
Today, he was here for the air conditioning. Heh.
The owner was a kind soul—three yuan would let you read books all day, with purchases priced separately. It was hard to tell if the place even turned a profit.
Shen Nian generously handed over six yuan, inviting Xia Yanchun into the bookstore for a nap.
"Sleep as much as you want. This one’s on me," Shen Nian whispered close to her ear.
Her ear tingled, warm and ticklish. Xia Yanchun rolled her eyes prettily. "What, am I supposed to repay you with my body for three yuan?"
"Nah. Just be my cow or horse in the next life. Not interested in you now."
"I’ll bite you to death outside."
Most bookstores didn’t allow drinks inside to avoid staining the books, but privately owned shops were more lenient—if you dirtied something, you had to buy it.
Shen Nian had already finished his iced fruit tea before even entering the store, while Xia Yanchun had only taken a few sips, delicate as a little bird.
Boys: Consumed one beverage.
Girls: Equipped one beverage.
A stereotype, sure, but Shen Nian felt he fit it perfectly.
Carrying her small backpack, Xia Yanchun found a secluded spot, took a sip of her tea, wiped the table clean with a wet wipe, and then fluffed up her tiny pillow.
A fan that didn’t blow hot air, air conditioning set at 24°C—bliss!
With a math exam in the afternoon, she needed her brain in top shape. A sweet, lovely nap was in order.
She settled down gracefully, then cracked her eyes open just a sliver to peek at Shen Nian, who had just returned with a book.
Shen Nian had somehow dug up an English textbook and was flipping through it seriously. Xia Yanchun frowned slightly.
Dummy Shen Nian. Not napping before a math exam is a death sentence.
"Seriously, you’re not even a little sleepy?"
"Not really. That’s just how us sunny, cheerful guys are," Shen Nian said with a grin. "Got any earphones?"
"Left my Bluetooth ones at home. Only have wired ones..."
"Hand them over. Gonna listen to something rage-inducing."
"..." Xia Yanchun reluctantly passed him her white wired earphones. "Clean them before giving them back."
Shen Nian nodded, slipping them on. But this time, he didn’t listen to English—instead, he pulled up an instrumental playlist.
There was some logic to listening to music while studying. If you could hear the songs, your efficiency was low. If you tuned them out, you’d entered a flow state—maximum productivity.
Results varied, but Shen Nian found it passable. Thanks to his system, his mental state was always sharp. Staying focused wasn’t hard; the challenge was staving off boredom.
Xia Yanchun filled that gap perfectly.
Her soft cheeks sank into the fuzzy pillow, squishing into an adorable curve. Her lips looked tender too, her almond eyes blinking slowly, Shen Nian’s reflection swimming in her pupils.
Gotta admit, Shen Nian’s profile was kinda handsome. Hmm...
Time to sleep. Good afternoon.
The midday sun was harsh, its light seeping through the curtains, bright behind her eyelids. Her lashes fluttered as the sound of pages turning—Shen Nian’s and others’—drifted into her ears.
Sometimes, absolute silence wasn’t the best for resting.
Her mind wandered, and in a fleeting dream, she saw herself and Shen Nian in their hometown, gazing at each other through windows across a narrow alley. In the hazy dream, she spotted a tiny Shen Nian—so, so cute.
Wanted to pat his head.
As she ran toward him, little Shen Nian raised his hand. A hug? Aw, it’s okay if little bro wants a hug from big sis.
Wait. Two middle fingers?
Are you telling me,
In my own dream,
I got flipped off by a mini Shen Nian?
Totally something Shen Nian would do. Fits his character.
Xia Yanchun cracked her eyes open, grumbling, a hint of grumpiness clinging to her. Felt like biting someone.
A glance at the clock: 1:50 PM. Just over an hour of sleep, but she felt refreshed. That was a good nap...
"Up already?" Shen Nian poked her fair arm, his fingertip sinking into cotton-soft skin.
"Yeah, slept enough." Xia Yanchun pressed her lips together, covering a yawn. Her breath didn’t smell, but her lashes felt sticky. A quick wipe with a wet tissue fixed that.
The post-nap drowsiness had vanished.
The bookstore was empty except for the two of them. Even the owner was nodding off at the counter.
Bored, she lazily propped her chin on the table and chatted with Shen Nian. "Finished memorizing the rest of the vocab?"
"Yep. Three thousand five hundred words—child’s play."
"Pfft. Getting cocky after memorizing a few, huh?"
Shen Nian shrugged, removing the earbud closest to Xia Yanchun. "Wanna listen?"
"Give me the other one."
"No."
"This side’s gonna be cramped..." Xia Yanchun sighed. Was his cerebellum shrinking or something?
"I know." Shen Nian was utterly nonchalant, not a hint of mischief or innuendo in his tone. "I just wanna be closer to you. I keep thinking—we’re childhood friends, so why do we argue all the time?"
"Not like I want to..."
"Then let’s stop. C’mere, Chun-bao."
"...Your head’s pointy."
Who was it that said they weren’t interested earlier? Now suddenly he wants to get close. Hmm, wonder who that could be.
Must be all that morning exercise Shen Nian’s been doing. Working out makes your head pointy and your brain cells fight each other.
Xia Yanchun took the earbud and slipped it into her other ear. The instrumental music was light and breezy, like drifting clouds.
Shen Nian’s slender fingers tapped the wooden table in time with the melody, rare tranquility in the moment.
He hadn’t lied to Xia Yanchun, nor was he trying to tease her now. His words were genuine—though there might’ve been some ulterior motives, he truly enjoyed being close to her.
Baby, you’re so soft and sweet. How did I never notice before?
Sunlight spilled over the bench by the window, painting everything warm. The distance between her and Shen Nian depended on the length of the earphone wire. If she pulled away, he’d scoot closer until their shoulders touched.
The AC was cool; Shen Nian was warm. Xia Yanchun’s mind buzzed faintly. She shifted away slightly, quietly analyzing Shen Nian’s intentions.
If you don’t wanna argue, does that mean you have to stick to me? Couldn’t even come up with a better excuse to take advantage. Who’s your best friend, huh?
"Mom wants me to go back home for National Day. You coming?" Shen Nian spoke abruptly, closing his book.
Xia Yanchun hummed. "Sure."
"Great. Then buy some fruit for my parents—a couple of durians or jackfruits. They love those. I remember yours like bananas, so I’ll get two bunches for them. Fair trade, right?"
"Go to hell!"
...
After tidying up her small backpack, Xia Yanchun yanked off her headphones and stuffed them back inside, cutting off Shen Nian’s listening session.
"Could you be a little gentler? You’re really something," he grumbled.
"Before demanding gentleness from others, maybe you should try being gentle yourself," Xia Yanchun shot back irritably.
"Who says I’m not gentle?" Shen Nian protested, gesturing animatedly. "Us fire-type players—when we’re about to win, we always send a head-pat emoji to comfort the opponent. It means ‘Don’t be discouraged, keep trying next time.’ Isn’t that gentle?"
"I don’t get it. Still not gentle."
Xia Yanchun, who rarely played games, often couldn’t keep up with Shen Nian’s meme-filled banter. Her gut told her it wasn’t anything good.
She might not know much about that Naruto stuff, but she knew Shen Nian well enough.
From a distance, the school’s midday break-ending anthem drifted over. Shen Nian had never voluntarily listened to "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies," but now he could practically sing it by heart. And that other one—"I’m Still That Same Boy..."—played on loop endlessly, grating on his ears.
The sun glared painfully into his eyes. "Where’s the umbrella? Hand it over, I’ll hold it."
"Go stand in the sun."
"Damn, don’t be so cruel, babe." Shen Nian refused to budge, squeezing under the umbrella with Xia Yanchun, one arm hoisting it up while the other draped over her smooth shoulders. "Let’s stick close."
"Who wants to stick close with you?!"
"Twelve-year-old you did."
"Absolutely not!"
Xia Yanchun tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, the soft wisps half-hiding her flushed cheeks.
Her heart fluttered guiltily. What kind of person was he, always bringing up childhood memories? She’d just made the same mistake every older sister inevitably makes.
Wasn’t it partly Shen Nian’s fault for being so adorably clueless back then?
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato’s request for 3 million+ daily visits straining the servers, we now recommend switching to other providers’ sources.
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!
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.
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."
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
