Hearing the voice, Huang Fei glanced at his phone screen, adjusted his hair one last time, and said to Long Aotian, "Old Ao, let's talk about whatever it is later. Today's gathering is really important to me—I’ve been trying to set it up for ages."
"Whether I can make a breakthrough depends entirely on today."
......
From a distance, Shen Mengjie watched Long Aotian and his group, covering her mouth as she giggled and turned to Han Xiaojing beside her. "See? I told you they’d all come."
Han Xiaojing stole a glance at Long Aotian, her youthful infatuation written all over her face.
"Juan!" Xu Shuai jogged over, his eyes fixed solely on Wang Lijuan. Over the holiday break, the two had made leaps and bounds in their relationship.
"Ugh! What are you calling me that for?" Wang Lijuan’s lips curled into an unmistakable smile, though she tried to maintain an air of composure in front of her girlfriends.
Xu Shuai stood right in front of Wang Lijuan, scratching his head sheepishly as her roommates teased him.
"Come on, stop making fun of him. He’s just a little slow," Wang Lijuan said, feigning indifference while subtly shielding Xu Shuai from their jokes.
Seeing the smile on Shen Mengjie’s face, Huang Fei suppressed his excitement and stepped forward. "The food here is pretty good. Let’s head inside first."
Though he addressed the group, his eyes never left Shen Mengjie.
Under his direct gaze, Shen Mengjie’s cheeks flushed pink. "Don’t you know it’s rude to stare at a girl like that?"
Her coy tone carried none of the reproach her words suggested—only the playful charm unique to girls her age.
It was a stark contrast to Wang Lijuan’s earlier scolding of Xu Shuai, even though both had been teasing in nature.
Li Longlong glanced at Han Xiaojing, offering a small nod and a faint smile.
When Han Xiaojing responded with nothing more than a polite, lukewarm smile in return, Li Longlong sighed inwardly.
Clearly, she had no interest in him whatsoever.
If only he hadn’t set his sights so high from the start—maybe he’d have a girlfriend by now.
With that thought, his gaze drifted to Zhang Mengmeng.
She wasn’t bad at all, really. Quiet, gentle...
But then again, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhang Mengmeng’s eyes kept subtly flickering toward Huang Fei.
Shen Mengjie leaned in close to Han Xiaojing and whispered, "You have to get Long Aotian’s contact info this time."
As she spoke, she lifted her gaze toward Long Aotian.
Their eyes met unexpectedly—she hadn’t anticipated him already watching her. A smirk tugged at her lips, and she blinked playfully at him before looking away with a nod.
Long Aotian’s reaction made Shen Mengjie raise an eyebrow.
Amused, she added, "If you don’t make a move soon, I just might."
"Huh?" Han Xiaojing blinked, glancing between Shen Mengjie and Long Aotian before steeling herself with silent determination.
Inside the private dining room, the space had been specially decorated—proof of how seriously Huang Fei took this gathering.
"Mengjie—can I call you that?" Huang Fei picked up the teapot, pouring water into Shen Mengjie’s cup first before smiling at her.
Everyone present was close friends, and they all knew Huang Fei was trying to pursue Shen Mengjie. Their amused gazes flickered between the two.
Shen Mengjie looked up at him, neither agreeing nor refusing, but the faint curve of her lips gave Huang Fei a tantalizing illusion.
Long Aotian took a deep breath. Huang Fei was already being led by the nose—it was only a matter of time before he was completely hooked.
He cleared his throat just in time to snap Huang Fei out of his lovesick daze before the latter could break into a foolish grin.
Regaining his composure, Huang Fei chuckled awkwardly and poured water for everyone else.
Shen Mengjie turned to Long Aotian. "You’re quite the busy man. Huang Fei says it’s nearly impossible to catch you in the dorm."
Long Aotian took a sip of water. "Just enjoying the break. It’s my first time in the capital, so I’ve been exploring."
"Oh, and yesterday I went to Yinjia KTV. The atmosphere there is great—perfect for hanging out when we’re free."
"The wonton soup place on the pedestrian street is worth trying too. Highly recommend."
At this, Shen Mengjie’s smile stiffened slightly. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her legs and folding her arms, her gaze fixed on Long Aotian with renewed interest.
To everyone else, it sounded like Long Aotian was simply recommending fun spots and good food.
But Shen Mengjie alone understood the subtext.
"Really? If I get the chance, I’ll have to try that soup." She twirled a lock of her wavy hair around her finger, lips parting in a coy smile. "I bet it’s delicious."
"Tastes vary. Who knows?" Long Aotian shrugged, leaving it at that. Some things were better left unsaid.
"True. I can be a little picky myself." Shen Mengjie’s grin widened.
Honestly, her composure was the most impressive Long Aotian had seen among their peers.
There was no panic at being found out—only the thrill of the game.
Like it wasn’t about winning or losing, but the excitement and passion it brought.
"Mengjie, if you want to try it, we can go together next time," Huang Fei cut in, mistaking her smile for foodie enthusiasm.
"Maybe."
The brief exchange was interrupted as the server entered with their dishes.
"I wasn’t sure what everyone likes, so I ordered some specialties. Dig in," Huang Fei urged, waving for them to start.
Throughout the meal, Han Xiaojing seemed distracted.
As roommates, she’d noticed the spark in Shen Mengjie’s eyes during her exchange with Long Aotian—and her earlier warning that she’d make a move if Han Xiaojing didn’t.
Pulling out her phone, she hesitated.
Their class group chat had Long Aotian’s QQ ID, but Han Xiaojing had never dared to add him directly.
It felt awkward when they weren’t close yet—what would she even say? Better to wait until they knew each other better, so she’d have things to talk about. Girls overthought these things.
It was like the "Three Kings of 147"—even they had felt this nervous the first time adding a girl’s QQ. Though guys were generally thicker-skinned.
In the end, Han Xiaojing still sent the friend request.
Ding—
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
] 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.
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
