The moment Shen Mengjie withdrew, Han Xiaojing bit her lip and stole a glance at Long Aotian.
She had been so afraid just now that Long Aotian would agree with Shen Mengjie’s words.
But seeing him merely smile, unmoved, she inexplicably felt a little happy.
"He’s different from other guys," Shen Mengjie whispered into Han Xiaojing’s ear.
Hearing this, Han Xiaojing maintained her composure on the surface, but the tips of her ears turned faintly red.
He really was different. It wasn’t just about giving her the watermelon—even during military training, his everyday behavior had made her pay a little extra attention to him.
Though he was the same age, his demeanor stood out from everyone else in the class.
He was mature, considerate, and knew how to make others feel at ease without awkwardness.
He might seem less competitive, less fiery, but whatever he did, he did well, always giving off an air of quiet reliability.
Around him, Han Xiaojing often felt like she could just be a delicate girl who needed protecting.
And this feeling—she never got it from any other guy.
If there was a difference between Long Aotian and other boys, this was it.
Like now, she could tell that Li Longlong and the others were just trying to show off.
But Long Aotian simply stood by, watching. If needed, he’d step in without hesitation—playing the supporting role, the wingman.
Yet when he wasn’t needed, he’d sit quietly, observing with a smile, as if genuinely enjoying the moment.
And it wasn’t forced—he truly seemed to relish it.
A new bottle of wine and an aged one—both were wine, but they were nothing alike.
Han Xiaojing quietly took out her phone, gathering her courage before finally looking at Long Aotian. "Long Aotian, can we—"
Before she could finish, a badminton landed beside them in a perfect arc.
"Just when I was getting warmed up, you guys are already done?" Xu Shuai and the other two walked back, spinning his racket in hand.
Truly, a guy was at his most attractive when he was confident in his element.
Xu Shuai wasn’t exactly ugly, but he wasn’t handsome either—at least, he was the most ordinary-looking in the dorm.
But right now, he was the coolest.
The courage Han Xiaojing had mustered vanished in an instant, interrupted.
Shen Mengjie watched everything with amusement, her gaze lingering playfully on Long Aotian.
"How about we all grab lunch together?" Huang Fei asked Shen Mengjie with a smile.
"Yeah, let’s eat together," Xu Shuai added, wiping sweat from his forehead as he grinned at Wang Lijuan.
The group lunch was a success, and everyone was in high spirits.
Romance? No big deal.
Pursuing girls? Just another day.
Youth was all about self-expression—anything was possible.
After lunch, the "147 Love Trio" felt like they’d made leaps of progress in front of their crushes. Once they escorted the girls back to their dorm, the boys erupted into a brief celebration.
"So, how’d I do today, Old Ao?" Xu Shuai asked excitedly.
"Not bad. I saw Wang Lijuan glance at you more than once."
"What about me? How about me?" Li Longlong pressed.
They all turned to Long Aotian because, in their dorm, he was the only one with actual dating experience.
The aloof campus belle from the music school, the two stunning beauties who’d come looking for him before—Long Aotian wasn’t the type to compete with them over girls, so his opinion was the most reliable.
"Didn’t really notice," Long Aotian admitted. "I wasn’t exactly staring at the girls while you were playing."
Huang Fei nodded. Old Ao wasn’t that kind of guy, so he didn’t press further.
Still, Huang Fei felt like he’d made solid progress today—Shen Mengjie had smiled at him several times and even subtly showed off her figure around him.
What did that mean? It meant she was practically his already!
As they say, where there’s a goal, there’s motivation. Right now, they were all brimming with confidence.
Just then, Long Aotian’s phone rang.
An unknown local number.
Seeing his "sons" still hyped up, Long Aotian stepped onto the balcony to answer.
"Hello, is this Mr. Long Aotian?" a polite voice asked.
"Who is this?"
"I’m from Haidian District’s second-hand property agency. We spoke in the group chat earlier. I have a vacant courtyard house available—would you like to come take a look?"
Hearing this, Long Aotian immediately set up a time with Cui Yong.
"I’m heading out," he said, grabbing his things.
"Old Ao, where are you going? Not joining us tonight?" Xu Shuai called after him.
They’d agreed to be his wingmen today, but these two had immediately hogged the spotlight in front of the girls.
He was the one who’d set this up—wasn’t today supposed to be his moment?
Only Long Aotian had stuck to his role as the reliable wingman.
"Won’t make it tonight. Wang Lijuan’s a good girl—go for it, ‘Dad’ believes in you."
Xu Shuai scratched his head, grinning. Sometimes, his instincts were spot-on.
With Long Aotian’s blessing, he felt even more determined.
Under the shade of the trees, the peak heat had passed. Capital City’s breezy weather made it just right.
"Brother!"
Long Aotian looked up to see Lin Wanning waving at him.
When he stopped, she hurried over, her white dress fluttering with each step, her long hair swaying in the wind. Her delicate face was alight with a charming liveliness.
"Slow down, Wanning," her three roommates teased from behind, unable to resist laughing.
Lin Wanning reached Long Aotian’s side and noticed him checking subway directions on his phone. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, her fair profile so flawless it was hard to look away, she asked, "Brother, where are you going?"
Before he could answer, her roommates caught up.
"Brother? You mean the hero who saved the beauty, right?"
"Must be. Otherwise, our aloof campus belle wouldn’t ditch us the second she sees him. Look how happy she is now—where’s that icy demeanor gone?"
"Hi, we’re Lin Wanning’s roommates—and best friends."
"Nice to meet you. I’m Long Aotian."
The first girl patted her stomach in mock dismay. "Ugh, I’m too full now."
Then she grinned. "But Hero Brother, you owe us a meal. Otherwise, we might just bully your little sister in the dorm."
Long Aotian chuckled at the nickname. "Sure thing. Just take good care of Wanning for me."
Hearing this, Lin Wanning’s lashes fluttered slightly. She peeked up at Long Aotian, her eyes shimmering faintly.
Her fair cheek, partially revealed as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, flushed with a delicate rosy hue...
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
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!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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】
