As they were talking,
Long Aotian's phone rang.
The video call immediately started lagging before the signal cut out completely.
Looking at the caller ID, Long Aotian felt a mix of helplessness and amusement.
It was Lin Wanning. Ever since he'd taken this little sister under his wing, she called him almost every single day.
The aloof campus belle in public was secretly a clingy sweetheart—no one would believe it if word got out.
As soon as he answered, Lin Wanning's distinct voice came through: "Bro, let's go eat!
I found this super affordable BBQ place this time. No excuses—last time you treated me, so if you refuse now, I’ll start badmouthing you."
Lin Wanning had her principles. Even though she called Long Aotian "brother," she never took advantage of him for free meals or favors.
As she put it, even freeloading had its limits. Besides, calling him "brother" wasn’t about getting perks—otherwise, plenty of guys would jump at the chance to treat her.
"Got it. Give me a bit. Just finished up and haven’t even showered or changed yet. I’m all sweaty."
Only after getting his agreement did Lin Wanning finally hang up.
As the call ended, a message from Hu Yuying popped up on QQ.
After a brief hesitation, Long Aotian decided to video-call her back.
When she picked up, Hu Yuying asked cautiously, "Long-ge, what happened earlier?"
"Nothing much. Just a friend called to grab dinner."
"Actually, once the break starts, I’ll introduce you guys."
Li Qingxue pouted. "Introduce us? So it’s a girl, huh?" Her gaze turned teasing as she looked at Long Aotian.
Hu Yuying’s bright eyes flickered with something fragile. Though she was just looking at him, Long Aotian inexplicably felt a pang of guilt. "Long-ge… you’re going out to eat with another girl?"
Her pitiful expression stunned him for a solid few seconds before he laughed and explained.
Naturally, he left out the part about getting injured.
"She’s just a nice kid who calls me ‘bro.’ Probably feels bad about the whole thing, but honestly, I think she’s overestimating the favor."
Li Qingxue already knew the story, so she wasn’t surprised—just increasingly curious about this mystery girl.
"But Long-ge, were you hurt?" Hu Yuying’s eyes never left him the entire time he spoke.
"Of course not! Your Long-ge knocked the bully flat with one punch!" To emphasize, he even reenacted the motion for the camera.
He vividly demonstrated which fist he’d used, then grinned at the screen. "So? Pretty impressive, huh?"
"Very impressive." Hu Yuying’s soft laughter mirrored his, her gaze warm as a spring breeze—gentle and comforting.
"So good."
Long Aotian murmured to himself. The current Hu Yuying bore no trace of the gloomy girl who used to trail behind him, head bowed.
In less than a year, her transformation had been remarkable—and he’d witnessed every step.
Pride swelled in his chest. After all, he’d been the one to guide her through it.
......
"Of course! I always keep my word. Besides, this amount is nothing compared to what I’ll have later."
"This stock’s gonna keep rising, but that’s small change. The real deal? My future girlfriend’s gonna be a top-tier celebrity." Ye Liangchen declared confidently.
"Seriously? If you’re that loaded, why borrow from us?"
"Yeah, my monthly allowance is tight as it is, and you’re asking for a hundred upfront?"
Ye Liangchen scoffed. "Small minds. You’ve gotta think bigger—see further ahead."
One roommate muttered, "Who knows what the future holds..."
At that, Ye Liangchen smirked, tossing his hair with flair.
"The future’s a mystery to you, but not to me. Besides, it’s not like I won’t pay you back. We’re roommates—you think I’d run off?
"Lend me this money today, and you’ll have a favor from Ye Liangchen. Trust me, my favors will be worth way more than a hundred bucks someday."
"This is my confidence—I know my future’s in my hands!"
The others exchanged glances before sighing. "Fine. We’ve got four years together. Just return it next month."
In the end, all three roommates lent Ye Liangchen a hundred each.
Holding the three hundred yuan in his hand, Ye Liangchen flashed a confident smile. "Don't worry, it won’t be long before I give you all a surprise."
He clenched his fist, then splayed his fingers open like fireworks bursting. "And it’ll be a huge one—just try not to be too shocked when it happens!"
With those words, he adjusted his hair in the mirror and strode out of the dorm.
But the moment he stepped outside, the smile vanished from Ye Liangchen’s face, replaced by a stormy gloom.
"Damn that Long Aotian! If it weren’t for you getting in the way of me meeting, knowing, and falling for my treasure of a girl, my family wouldn’t have had to spend so much just to pull strings and get me into this lousy university!"
"And Li Qingxue—you shameless woman who can’t decide between two men—just wait. Soon enough, you’ll be begging for my forgiveness, and this time, I won’t go easy on you. I’ll make you suffer!"
After viciously venting his anger, Ye Liangchen let out a long, heavy sigh.
"If I remember right, today’s the day we’re supposed to meet for the second time."
But glancing at the money in his hand, he couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. "Who’d have thought I’d stoop to borrowing cash like this?"
"In my dreams, I was too sheltered—I only knew Hu Yuying would make it big, that Li Qingxue would succeed, but not how they did it. Now all I have to go on are hazy memories to play the stock market."
"Though that cryptocurrency might be worth something later too. Once I cash out the stocks, maybe I’ll buy some of that."
"But that’s for later. Right now, there’s something more important. Once my childhood sweetheart debuts on Happy Girl’s Voice, money won’t even be an issue!"
Taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart, he checked the time and quickened his pace toward the exit...
["Boss, you’re too generous—sending a ‘God-tier Certification’ and all these gifts and superchats! Thank you, thank you! With the New Year coming, here’s a bow for you all—love you!!!!"]
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.
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
