The holiday came to an end, and everything returned to normal.
University life wasn’t as hectic as the final year of high school.
Long Aotian now had plenty of time—attending classes when he had them, and checking on the progress of his courtyard house renovation during his free hours.
Occasionally, he’d video call Hu Yuying to share updates and brainstorm ideas for decorating their future home.
Every time this happened, Hu Yuying would light up like a child who’d just been given candy.
All because of one sentence Long Aotian had said: "How should we decorate our home?"
It seemed like everything was moving in a positive direction.
As the holiday faded, the weather gradually turned cooler.
Long Aotian had connections at clothing factories in Yiwu and Guangdong from his previous clothing business. Since he frequently placed orders, he’d built good relationships with them. He shared his plan to open three online stores, paid some deposits, and requested a selection of autumn outfits in different styles.
Meanwhile, at A University, Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue strolled across the campus lawn near the girls’ dormitory, chatting about topics only girls would discuss.
Their conversation was interrupted by a video call notification.
Hu Yuying pulled out her phone, and her eyes curved into crescents at the sight of the caller. "It’s Long Aotian," she said, answering the call.
His voice came through immediately: "Yuying, bring Qingxue along and come home later."
Before Hu Yuying could respond, Li Qingxue, standing beside her, protested, "Who are you calling silly? Watch me step on your foot again!"
Long Aotian laughed. "Oh, you’re there too? Fine, fine, you’re not silly. Come over—I’ve got a surprise for you both!"
The word "surprise" was enough to soften Li Qingxue’s irritation. Whatever it was, the mere promise of something unexpected made her forgive him instantly.
"Alright then, I’ll grace you with my presence," she huffed.
Hu Yuying giggled. "Look at you—your grin’s reaching your ears already."
Li Qingxue shot back, "No it’s not! Say that again and see what happens!"
Long Aotian chuckled. "Alright, I surrender. See you at home."
Hu Yuying nodded, her voice softening. "Okay, Long Aotian… see you at home."
Li Qingxue teased, "Ohhh, look at you blushing just from saying that—"
Hu Yuying quickly ended the call and playfully lunged at Li Qingxue. "I am not!"
Li Qingxue dodged, grinning. "Your face is totally red! You can’t hide it."
Hu Yuying touched her warm cheeks lightly. "It’s just… I can’t help it when it comes to Long Aotian. No matter how hard I try, I just turn into a mess."
Had Long Aotian heard this, he would’ve gently tapped her forehead with his fingertip.
Physical attraction was a primal thing—uncomplicated, undeniable, needing no elaborate explanation.
As the saying goes: A blush says more than a thousand words.
"Long Aotian!"
The moment they stepped out of the campus gates, Lin Wanning’s voice rang out.
Her voice was unmistakable—elegant, distinctive, carrying a natural charm.
"I came as soon as I got your message," she said, waving her phone proudly as she approached him.
Around Long Aotian, she shed her usual cool demeanor, transforming into a younger sister seeking reassurance. Her delicate features softened, like snow melting under the sun, revealing a rare warmth and dependence.
"Let’s head back. Yuying and Qingxue will be there soon," Long Aotian said.
Just then, his phone buzzed with a delivery notification—the packages had arrived and were waiting at the convenience store near the alley.
The thought of Hu Yuying’s surprised expression brought an unconscious smile to his lips.
Back at the courtyard house, Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue hadn’t arrived yet.
"Wanning, go ahead inside. I need to pick something up," Long Aotian said.
Lin Wanning nodded, unlocking the door with her key.
At the convenience store, Long Aotian was a familiar face—he often bought water and cigarettes for the construction workers.
"Uncle, here for my packages," he said.
"Ah, Long Aotian! They’re right here—three big bundles. What’d you buy this time?"
"Just some clothes," Long Aotian replied, locating the three large black packages. Nearby, a smaller parcel caught his eye.
Assuming it was a freebie, he checked the label—only to find Lin Wanning’s phone number on it.
He took everything back with him.
Back in the courtyard, Lin Wanning stared at the three massive bundles in astonishment.
"Long Aotian, what is all this?" she asked.
The look on her face satisfied him. "You’ll see in a bit," he said mysteriously.
Lin Wanning chuckled at his secrecy. "I’ll go check if Yuying and Qingxue are here yet," she said, stepping out of the courtyard.
As soon as she left, Long Aotian started unpacking.
The three bundles contained clothes tailored to Hu Yuying’s, Li Qingxue’s, and Lin Wanning’s personal styles.
Having lived in a world ahead of its time, Long Aotian’s fashion sense was decades ahead of current trends.
As he unpacked, he absentmindedly opened Lin Wanning’s smaller package too.
Outside, Lin Wanning was about to call Li Qingxue to ask where they were when her phone buzzed with a delivery update—the package had been retrieved minutes ago.
Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled the bundles Long Aotian had brought back.
Panic flickered across her usually composed face before she dashed back inside.
There, she found Long Aotian holding a pair of silver handcuffs, tilting them under the sunlight with deep contemplation.
The cuffs gleamed brilliantly, almost… beautifully.
Lin Wanning’s breath hitched. She forced calm into her voice as she snatched them from his hands, hiding them behind her back.
"Long Aotian! You can’t just open my mail!"
He frowned. "Why’d you buy these?"
Seeing his expression, she instinctively wanted to smooth the crease between his brows. Softly, she explained, "Our department’s preparing a play. I’m playing a police officer—these are props."
Long Aotian’s frown melted into a smile. "Oh! I’ll come cheer you on then."
Lin Wanning nodded, relieved. He’s so easy to fool.
Trying to divert his attention, she pointed at the black bundles. "So, what’s in these?"
She discreetly tucked the handcuffs away.
Just then, the gate creaked open.
"Long Aotian! Where’s my surprise?" Li Qingxue’s voice rang out.
Hu Yuying hurried over, stopping in front of Long Aotian with stars in her eyes. "Long Aotian," she said softly.
He pinched her cheek affectionately. "This is your surprise."
"Clothes?"
"Thirty pieces each!"
The stunned expressions on all three faces were exactly the reaction he’d hoped for.
Lin Wanning had indeed seen the clothes, but receiving thirty pieces per person truly astonished her once again...
["Thank you for the gifts, love you all—sending a big heart..."]
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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!
transmigrates into the role of a villainous rich second-generation kid in an urban fantasy novel, and gets bound to a god-tier choice system. Right at the start, he catches the female lead stealing exam papers! This triggers the villain's choice options! [Choice 1: Pretend you didn't see anything] [Choice 2: Loudly call her out, drawing everyone's attention] [Choice 3: ...] And thus, a twisted villain is born. To avoid getting killed by the protagonist, he has no choice but to take down all the protagonists first. Jiang Che: Nobody understands being twisted better than me!
