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!]
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.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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?
ither go to a cultivation world where a single sword strike can defeat ten thousand enemies. Or they travel back to historical dynasties to alter history and wield imperial power. At the very least, they'd go back a few decades to get rich using their future knowledge and build a harem. Who the hell would transmigrate here!
