The moment she spotted Li Qingxue, Hu Yuying excitedly waved at her: "Qingxue!"
Thanks to Long Aotian’s introduction, during their earlier conversations, Hu Yuying had already mentally marked Li Qingxue as her closest friend and companion for the next four years.
"You guys finally made it!" Li Qingxue walked over to Long Aotian and Hu Yuying, grinning just as brightly.
Being alone in an unfamiliar city inevitably brought a mix of nervousness and discomfort.
Especially for Li Qingxue—her parents had left just the day before, and the pang of separation had peaked in her heart.
She wasn’t like Hu Yuying, who had attended elementary, middle, and high school farther and farther from home over the years. Though Hu Yuying still felt some of the disorientation and fear that came with a new city, it wasn’t nearly as intense.
Li Qingxue was different. She’d been born and raised in Haiwan City—kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school, all within its bounds. Strictly speaking, this was her first time venturing so far from Haiwan City, so far from her parents...
Still, things weren’t so bad now. At least in this unfamiliar city, she had two good friends by her side.
"Let me take you to Haidian District first."
Li Qingxue led the way. Having arrived days earlier, she’d already picked up a few things—like how to ride the subway.
Haiwan City was small and didn’t even have a subway system.
But in Capital City, 80% of people relied on it for daily travel.
Long Aotian adjusted fine. In his previous life, before car loans and mortgages weighed him down, he’d often taken the subway.
Hu Yuying, however, was wide-eyed with amazement. She’d thought the streets above were crowded enough—but the moment they descended into the subway station and saw the surging sea of people, her expression was pure wonder.
"Mind blown, huh?" Li Qingxue laughed. She’d had the same reaction her first time.
The crowds were overwhelming, everyone rushing urgently. Compared to Haiwan City, even a glance made it obvious—this city’s pace of life was fast.
"Mhm." Hu Yuying nodded reflexively.
"Haha, we’ll be spending the next four years here. Better get used to it!" As she spoke, Li Qingxue guided them to a machine to buy subway cards.
"Get a card here, then pass through security to board."
The process was simple, and Hu Yuying quickly got the hang of it.
Through security, swiping their cards at the turnstiles, then waiting on the platform.
When the train arrived, the three squeezed into the packed car.
It was the start of the semester, and between students, migrant workers, and office commuters, the car was packed to the brim.
Even Long Aotian—tall and broad as he was—was jostled relentlessly.
Glancing down at the two petite girls beside him, awkward and overwhelmed, he braced his arms and forcefully carved out a small space, kicking both his and Hu Yuying’s suitcases against the wall.
"Sit."
Hu Yuying obeyed without question, perching atop her suitcase.
Li Qingxue, however, looked up at Long Aotian with a faint smirk before settling onto his suitcase.
Long Aotian stood guard in front of them, using his frame to shield them from the worst of the crowd.
The subway was always a free-for-all—people shoved and elbowed without a second thought. But faced with Long Aotian’s imposing stature, no one dared complain.
If they really minded the crowding, they’d have splurged on a taxi.
The girls were slim, taking up little space, yet Long Aotian still managed to clear a buffer around them.
Hu Yuying’s cheeks flushed pink without her realizing, her gaze flickering up at Long Aotian in fleeting glances.
Li Qingxue found her breathing oddly unsteady. She stole a glance at Long Aotian before quickly looking away, as if guilty of something.
Thankfully, the tension eased when they transferred lines.
By then, it was nearly 11 PM.
After switching trains, they finally escaped the worst of the crowd—even scoring seats.
"Three more stops, then we’re off. How about grabbing a bite before heading to campus?" Li Qingxue suggested.
"Sure." Long Aotian agreed.
Following the flow of passengers out of the station, Li Qingxue led them straight to a small restaurant.
The menu prices stunned Hu Yuying all over again. Back in Haiwan City, stir-fried noodles cost just 7 yuan—here, they were 10, and the portions were smaller.
Catching her dismay, Long Aotian flicked her forehead lightly. "Cheapskate. I’m treating—order whatever you want."
"Then... just fried rice for me."
"One roast duck, three bowls of zhajiang noodles, a soda, and two milks," Long Aotian rattled off to the waiter.
"Huh?" Both Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue blinked in surprise.
Li Qingxue had a decent allowance—more than most—but even she balked at the roast duck’s price.
She could afford it, but part of her would rather spend that money on a new dress...
The wait dragged, but everyone left stuffed.
Afterward, Li Qingxue hesitated, embarrassed. She’d promised Long Aotian she’d treat him once they reached Capital City—but the moment she brought it up, his expression darkened.
While Long Aotian settled the bill, Hu Yuying whispered to Li Qingxue, "Long Aotian said a real man never lets girls pay for meals."
Li Qingxue’s eyes softened as she watched his retreating figure. "A bit of a chauvinist, huh?"
But warmth bloomed in her chest. Kind, considerate, and a little old-fashioned... Not bad.
Her gaze turned wistful as she studied Hu Yuying. "He’s really good to you."
Hu Yuying’s cheeks pinked as she ducked her head. "Mhm. He’s the best in the world."
"What’s the whispering about? Let’s go." Long Aotian hauled both suitcases forward.
"Okay x2."
Watching them, Long Aotian stifled a laugh. Feels like I went from babysitting one kid to two...
At the subway station, the trio parted ways.
They agreed to meet up again in the afternoon after settling into their dorms for a proper meal.
University A and University T were in opposite directions, too far to travel together.
Once separated, Hu Yuying’s mood visibly dipped.
Li Qingxue’s chest ached faintly too, but she teased, "What’s this? Even if Long Aotian’s gone, you still have me."
"Guess a boyfriend does trump a best friend, huh?"
Hu Yuying’s face flamed. "Q-Qingxue! Don’t say nonsense! He’s not my boyfriend..."
[Heh heh heh, time for the daily shameless plea—heart emoji first, then... please feed the power generator!]
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
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!
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】
