The room was bright and spacious—Shen Nian couldn’t remember the last time he’d studied in here.
The last time he studied in his room was… well, the last time.
But studying with the AC on? Absolute bliss.
The town wasn’t very developed, so light pollution was minimal. The stars, invisible in the city, were clearly visible here. The moon no longer looked lonely.
Buzz, buzz.
His phone vibrated—Shen Yue was calling.
“Yeah?” Shen Nian capped his pen, flipped his test paper aside, and flopped onto the bed. The sheets carried the scent of sun-dried cotton, mixed with a hint of lavender. Comfortable. His voice softened.
“Wuuu, little bro, I miss you.”
“Uh, cut the act. What’s up?”
“Just… feeling kinda lonely. The house feels so empty.” Shen Yue’s voice was sugary sweet. Shen Nian didn’t even need to think—his older sister was definitely binge-watching dramas in her room, probably in just her underwear, with a bag of chips dumped carelessly by the bed.
“Then come back. What’s the point of staying there alone?”
“I’ll wait till Mid-Autumn Festival…”
Going back to town meant no more food delivery. She’d have to take turns with Shen Nian doing chores—hanging laundry, cooking. Just thinking about it made her glad to be alone. Tomorrow, she’d invite her girlfriends out shopping.
Lazy as she was, she was still the older sister. She had to maintain some dignity.
“You barely go home. When you finally do, remember to help with the chores. Cook before Mom and Dad get back. Don’t piss them off, got it?”
“Pfft, as if I’m your personal servant.” Shen Nian rolled his eyes.
“Good, good. Mom and Dad had it rough back then. Before the farm got big, they were running around nonstop. Things only got better after Mom was pregnant with you. You were too young to remember, but when Mom had you, she almost—”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What’s with the sob story?” Shen Nian cut her off.
“Heh, just behave yourself. Mom and Dad have so many white hairs now. Don’t act like a brat.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m hanging up. Lock the doors and windows before bed.”
“Mhm. I saw the pics Mom sent. Save some good food for me when I’m back. Bye, you little rascal.”
Beep—
Shen Nian plugged in his phone and sprawled on the bed, mind blissfully empty.
Just zoning out. Brain fried. Waiting for replies.
Nights in town weren’t as lively as the city’s. Half the streetlights were broken, and by late night, barely anyone was out.
So Mom almost didn’t make it when she had him? Shen Nian had never heard that before.
Respect.
Lady Luck—truly great. No further comment.
…
The next day, Shen Nian ambushed the rooster across the street, brushing his teeth before it could even crow.
At 4:30 AM, the town was empty except for street cleaners.
Back in middle school, he’d wake up this early just for the free breakfast—a bowl of rice noodles and a carton of student milk.
Life was so chill. Typical small-town youth.
While the street outside his house was quiet, the market area was packed.
Today was market day. Vendors were up early, setting up stalls selling everything—traditional herbs, snakebite remedies. Shen Nian used to love watching them handle snakes. Back when regulations were looser, some even displayed pythons in cages.
After a long jog, Shen Nian squeezed his calf muscles. Normally sedentary, he could actually see them firming up.
Exercise had become his outlet for pent-up energy.
Thanks to [Flicker Training], his workouts were way more efficient.
After all, exercise counted as leveling up.
Eight-pack abs, handmade. For Xia Yanchun to touch later.
On the way back, he grabbed some steamed buns.
At 8 AM, Chen Minyue stared at the buns on the table, baffled.
What kind of kid wakes up this early during a break? Unheard of.
She almost wondered if Shen Nian had pulled an all-nighter—something he’d done plenty of times before.
But he looked refreshed, no dark circles in sight. No mistakes meant no scolding.
“When did you sleep last night? Up so early.”
“Dunno. Early to bed, early to rise.” Shen Nian grinned. “Went for a run. My clothes are in the washer. Just showered. Gonna head upstairs now.”
“You exercised?”
“Yep. Sweat buckets.”
Wow. Her son had turned over a new leaf.
Wait, was that the right phrase? Eh, close enough.
After months apart, Shen Nian’s changes were staggering. Chen Minyue was surprised, happy, and curious.
Such a transformation had to stem from something big. For an 18-year-old, the most likely culprit? A crush.
Hmm… She hadn’t noticed him interacting much with Xia Yanchun next door. Was he keeping his distance because he liked someone else?
Well, hopefully he knew his limits.
Upstairs, Shen Nian leaned on the balcony, idly watching a hunched old lady fertilizing vegetables and the occasional tricycle passing by.
He was an honest kid. He missed Yanchun.
They’d gone home separately yesterday and hadn’t spoken since. Just a wall between them, yet it felt like worlds apart. He was here; she was there.
Glancing sideways, he could see familiar clothes drying on the neighboring balcony—the same little dress he’d clung to yesterday.
But with Uncle Xia and Aunt Wen home, he couldn’t just waltz over to see Xia Yanchun.
Might as well say good morning.
[Shen Nian]: (Good morning! If it’s not good, well, it’s still morning.jpg)
[You poked Xia Yanchun’s red envelope and said, “Hello, Mommy”]
[Shen Nian]: ??
Damn you, Yanchun.
Just a wall away, Xia Yanchun groggily sat up, stretching so hard her toes nearly cramped.
She’d slept early, exhausted from yesterday, and woke up refreshed after a solid eight hours.
After brushing her teeth and washing up, she flopped back onto the bed and finally noticed Shen Nian’s message.
Pfft—
The sheer catharsis of seeing those two question marks. Nothing like Shen Nian’s bafflement to start the day right.
Holding down the voice message button, she sent him three seconds of laughter.
[Xia Yanchun]: (Hahaha—honk honk honk!)
[Shen Nian]: Saved. Thanks for the meal. Gonna listen to this daily. I’ll even play it for the loli girl after break.
[Xia Yanchun]: ?
Her smile vanished. Whoever’s face it transferred to—good luck guessing.
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's daily requests exceeding 3 million+, causing excessive server pressure, we now recommend switching to other providers' sources.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
