The next morning.
Long Aotian woke up early. Today was the day the workers would start their shift, and he needed to check on them.
"Old Ao, where are you off to so early?" Huang Fei mumbled, barely opening his eyes. He had drunk a little the night before and really didn’t feel like getting up now.
"Got some things to take care of. Heading out."
"You’re such a busy man... I can’t do it. I’m going back to sleep..." Huang Fei turned over and drifted off again.
Stepping out of the dormitory, Long Aotian found the air in Capital City far from pleasant, even in the early hours. It was nothing compared to Haiwan City, he thought.
Before long, Long Aotian arrived at the courtyard compound.
After a quick phone call, he soon met up with the project manager.
During their discussion, over sixty workers began their tasks for the day.
......
Hu Yuying had always been an early riser.
It was a habit ingrained in her over the years—she simply couldn’t sleep in, always waking up at the same time no matter what.
She got up, dressed, washed her face, and sent a message to Li Qingxue. Waiting briefly in the hallway, she received no reply.
Tilting her head, she gazed at the sky through the glass above—still as breathtaking as ever.
"The weather’s so nice today."
She made her way toward the campus gates.
Pausing outside a breakfast shop, she hesitated for a moment, taking a deep breath as if steeling herself.
Then she stepped inside.
Moments later, Hu Yuying dashed back out, her face lit up with a radiant smile.
Not long after, she returned, slightly out of breath.
"Thank you, thank you!"
The elderly couple running the shop beamed at the sight of such a lovely, polite girl, waving her off warmly.
Leaving the shop, Hu Yuying scanned a shared bike and pedaled toward the nearest subway station.
She was in a hurry—her heart raced the entire way, tense and urgent, as if every second mattered.
The subway doors had barely opened when she darted out.
On the sidewalk, passersby turned to watch the sprinting girl.
But this time, Hu Yuying didn’t care about their gazes. The eager smile on her face never faded. She was like a streak of rainbow, leaving behind a trail of vibrant colors in her wake.
Her determination had finally freed her from the fear of others’ eyes.
Because Long Aotian had once told her: No one knows you, so why be shy? Strangers pass by and forget you in an instant. Those who truly care will love you no matter what.
Everyone moved in the same direction, like silent hands of a clock, along this endless road—until, at last, she found him.
At the mouth of an alley, Long Aotian seemed to sense something. He turned, then relaxed entirely, shaking his head with an exasperated but fond smile.
This was the fourth time.
The fourth time he’d seen her running toward him without hesitation, without holding anything back.
"Long-ge."
Seeing him look her way, Hu Yuying’s smile brightened even more as she called out cheerfully.
Slowing to a stop in front of him, she carefully presented what she had been cradling in her arms.
"You silly girl." Long Aotian looked at what she held, then ruffled her hair roughly.
She didn’t mind the mess—she loved it when Long-ge pampered her like this.
"Long-ge, have some congee."
Those four words were like an invisible blade—painless, yet carving deep into his heart.
Sometimes, Long Aotian wondered if he was just too sentimental for his age.
After all, he’d heard this same phrase countless times back in Haiwan City.
But here in Capital City, in this moment, it felt like a dagger made of honey—sweetness flooding his chest.
So sweet, yet never cloying.
......
Sitting on a green-painted step, he peeled open the disposable lid. Steam rose, carrying a rich aroma.
It was lean meat congee.
Hu Yuying watched him with sparkling eyes. "Try it, Long-ge."
He took a big bite. It was delicious—just like the ones back in Haiwan City.
Seeing the way Long-ge ate, especially when it was something she’d made, filled Hu Yuying with irrepressible joy. "Is it good?"
"Very good. You... haven’t eaten yet, have you?" Long Aotian guessed. The congee was still piping hot, clearly freshly made, and given how she’d sprinted here, he had a hunch.
"I’m not hungry." Before meeting Long-ge, she’d rarely eaten breakfast. Years of habit had made it second nature. It was only after meeting him that she’d started sharing meals with him.
"Have some." Long Aotian handed her the container, still more than half-full.
Hu Yuying shook her head rapidly. "I’m really not hungry, Long-ge. You eat it."
"Hmm? Not listening? Want me to scold you?"
"Come on!"
He pressed the congee into her hands. "Eat."
Looking down at it, Hu Yuying took a small sip, then lifted her gaze to meet his. The moment their eyes locked, she broke into a silly, happy grin, clutching the congee like a treasure.
Her smile was beautiful—gentle as lingering spring rain, intoxicating and tender, tickling the heart.
"You..." Long Aotian couldn’t help but pinch the tip of her nose lightly. She was just too adorable.
......
From a distance, someone froze mid-step. The hands holding a bag of steamed buns and soy milk tightened slowly.
A long, long moment later, the grip loosened.
She didn’t go any closer. Instead, she retreated into the shadows of another alley.
A hand pressed lightly against her chest.
Her heart was calm. Strangely, unnervingly calm.
Li Qingxue stared blankly. Though physically close, the scene before her felt worlds away.
Even from this distance, she could see how brightly Hu Yuying was smiling—a side of her that seemed to appear only around Long Aotian.
And Long Aotian? He watched her with undivided affection, his gaze holding no room for anyone else in that moment.
Witnessing this...
For some reason, Li Qingxue felt a strange sense of release.
Not quite acceptance, but something indescribable.
Her heart was at peace, yet there was an odd discomfort—though seeing Hu Yuying so happy also made her happy for them.
Yes. Happy.
Her mind drifted back to that night when Hu Yuying had stopped her and asked:
"Qingxue... what if I like Long-ge too?"
She couldn’t remember the expression on Hu Yuying’s face that night.
"Silly Yuying... were you hurting back then?"
"You must have been. I was right beside you, saying those things, and I didn’t even notice how much pain you were in..."
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
] [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!"
