Carrying bags was ultimately inconvenient, and the plastic handles would dig into his fingers, leaving them red and sore. Girls were more considerate—after a while of shopping, Shen Nian was relieved of his duties as the designated bag-holder.
If even the mysterious ones acted this way, Li Shiyan was no exception. She took back her share of the bags and finished her snacks along the way, her lips smacking contentedly.
Shen Nian, feeling entirely justified, sidled up to Xia Yanchun’s other side, seizing the chance to stick close. The three of them living their best lives together—Shen Nian absolutely adored this kind of warm, harmonious atmosphere.
The taste of youth.
Good thing Chen Qiuyu wasn’t here—otherwise, he’d be tempted to mess with the literary girl a little.
Wait, did he forget something?
Shen Nian stroked his chin but couldn’t recall. If he couldn’t remember, it probably wasn’t important. Might as well just go with the flow.
Meanwhile, at the fish market in the wet market.
The bespectacled uncle had already circled the fish stalls twice.
Hey, Cai Xukun, where the hell are you?
If you don’t show up, what am I supposed to do with these fish?!
Don’t let me catch you late at the school gates, or I’ll deduct double points from your class. If your homeroom gets the weekly "flowing red banner," I’ll eat my hat.
……
Arcade.
The two girls headed into the claw machine section.
Shen Nian followed with a blank expression, utterly unimpressed. These businesses really knew how to reel people in—decking out the claw machines in soft pink so girls couldn’t resist taking a look. If they ever redesigned them with Gundam themes, he’d be the first in line.
He had zero interest in claw machines. The arcade music was too loud, some love song remixed into a grating TikTok DJ version. It was annoying. He just wanted to leave.
Until he spotted a machine filled with model kits.
Gundams, Kamen Riders, Ultramen…
Each box even had a little loop for the claw to hook onto, complete with the Bandai logo.
Shen Nian wasn’t sure if they were official, so he snapped a photo and sent it to Ma Mingfan, who was into this stuff.
Ma Mingfan replied instantly.
[Shen Nian]: Are these legit? Saw them at the mall. (Image)(Image)
[Ma Mingfan]: 100% fake. Give me the mall owner’s number—I’ll collect the licensing fee and forward it to Bandai myself.
[Shen Nian]: Cool, you’re useless now. Bye.
[Ma Mingfan]: ?
Shen Nian pocketed his phone and turned back to the machine.
A pastel-pink claw machine… filled with model kits?
Sure, they weren’t the high-end ones, but…
If you’re gonna stock Gundams and Kamen Riders, what’s left to say? Take my money. That’s just how we Southerners roll.
By the time Xia Yanchun and Li Shiyan turned to look for him, Shen Nian had already returned from the counter with a box of coins.
“Wait, you’re playing?” Xia Yanchun asked, puzzled.
“Well, we’re already here.”
“…So if we pass a foot massage place, are you gonna pop in for a soak too?”
“That’s totally different. We’re high schoolers—we’d never do something like that.”
Li Shiyan blinked. “What about after graduation?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
Xia Yanchun and Li Shiyan: …
Shen Nian, you’re unbelievable. We’re laughing out of sheer frustration.
If we ever catch you at a foot spa, we’re telling your mom. Don’t blame us for being ruthless.
Noticing the models inside the machine, Xia Yanchun finally understood why Shen Nian was so eager.
Boys just couldn’t resist this stuff. Back when they were kids and fought, Shen Nian would always strike a Ultraman transformation pose when he was about to lose. If he was really getting beaten, he’d claim his "energy gauge" was flashing red and vow to continue the fight tomorrow after "recharging."
Hah, so lame. Shen Nian used to be such a weakling.
Shen Nian cleared his throat. “Let’s not waste time on this. I’m about to start.”
“Eight coins per try? This is daylight robbery.”
He grumbled but kept feeding coins into the machine. Capitalists really knew how to squeeze people dry.
Xia Yanchun and Li Shiyan watched as he tried again and again, coming up empty-handed each time. Shen Nian’s initial confidence gradually gave way to frustration, his face flushing red.
“Move over, dummy.”
Xia Yanchun nudged him aside, her soft, fragrant body pressing close. Shen Nian froze for a second before yielding his spot.
He vaguely remembered Xia Yanchun being really into claw machines back in the day—she’d often bring home plushies. Several of the stuffed animals on her bed were her own catches.
She must be a pro.
“Chun-bao, if you grab one, I’ll treat you to a peanut snack.”
“No need. I’ll buy my own.” Xia Yanchun’s lips twitched. As if he didn’t constantly mooch off her snacks.
Attention, viewers. This girl, Xiao Chun, is about to attempt the claw machine. (Cue cheesy influencer voiceover.)
After a few attempts, Xia Yanchun dusted off her hands, looking pleased with herself.
“You didn’t get anything either?” Shen Nian raised an eyebrow.
“I didn’t win anything, but I still worked hard.”
“Hah. Then give me back my 24 coins.”
“Shiyan, let’s go exchange some coins for the motorcycle game!”
“Okay~”
Shen Nian pouted. Sixty-eight bucks down the drain. Where’s the skill tree when you need it? Level up my claw machine proficiency already.
Totally scammed by capitalism. Those capitalists deserve to hang. The lampposts look awfully empty today.
Wait. Capital?
Shen Nian stroked his chin, then narrowed his eyes at the adorable twin-tailed girl.
“Li Shiyan, come here. You get the last two tries.”
“Huh?”
Li Shiyan barely processed it before pure joy flooded her.
I got called by name! I got called by name!
The sun was high and bright, the sky a vast blue ocean with drifting clouds. Even if someone stepped on her foot right now, she’d forgive them with a smile.
“You want me to try?” Li Shiyan bounced over eagerly.
“Go for it, Li Shiyan.” (Ash Ketchum pose)
“But I’ve never played before… You won’t get mad if I fail, right?”
“If you fail, it just means we’ve all been scammed by capitalism.”
“Then… I’ll try.”
She dropped in eight coins and curiously fiddled with the controls.
What’s this? Move it a bit—why’s the claw moving?
What’s this? Press the button—why’s the claw swinging down?
Why’s the claw dragging a box up?
Why’s the box falling into the chute?
The box practically threw itself in. Li Shiyan—slayer of capitalism, true goddess of fortune—had just pressed a button at random.
Shen Nian fell into deep thought.
Shen Nian stood at attention.
“Damn, girl.” He gave her a thumbs-up.
Li Shiyan tugged at her twin tails. This was the first time Shen Nian had ever praised her—even if it wasn’t the most elegant compliment, it beat being scolded.
“Just luck. Probably hit the pity timer. I heard these machines have built-in guarantees.”
“One more try. Doesn’t matter if you get it—you can use the rest of the coins for whatever.”
“Okay, but if I fail, don’t blame me…”
Twenty seconds later, Shen Nian cradled a second box, grinning in satisfaction.
666, Earth Online’s luckiest account. How is this balanced?
This wasn’t just luck—no machine hits pity twice in a row. She’s a walking cheat code.
Shen Nian often felt inferior because even with hacks, he couldn’t compete with Li Shiyan.
If capitalists knew her track record, they’d put a bounty on her head—higher than Luffy’s.
Shen Nian handed her the remaining coins, then paused before exchanging another hundred, loading her up with a heavy stack.
"Here, take these to play with—don’t hold back with me, alright?"
"Woo—"
Xia Yanchun and Li Shiyan ran off to grab more adorable plushies, while Shen Nian watched them like a doting father, his whole demeanor radiating warmth and tenderness.
He’d already said it so many times it felt worn out.
Yanxi reminds you: Due to Tomato’s request for 3 million+ daily visits overwhelming the server, we now recommend switching to other top-tier sources.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
