Long Aotian turned off his phone screen and slumped onto the bench, gazing up at the night sky. "I understand how you feel. Honestly, it makes sense that you'd think this way."
"But have you considered that they might not even mind?"
Lin Wanning mimicked Long Aotian's posture, tilting her head back to look at the stars. "Of course I can sense that. That’s exactly why I want to help Yuying and Qingxue too."
"You all have such a strong bond. Even if you’re relying on their help now, who’s to say you won’t be able to support them in the future?"
"Yuying and Qingxee’s fields of study are practical and applicable to daily life—after all, that’s what they specialize in."
"But your path is music. Eventually, you’ll move toward a career in that field. Maybe one day you’ll become a real star, with countless fans and even a celebrity influence."
"Of course, by then, the income from an online shop might not even matter to you..."
Hearing this, Lin Wanning immediately protested, "Who says? I’d never forget! If I really become a star, we’ll create our own brand together. The three of us will always stick together."
"You see? It’s the same. Your friendship isn’t built on these concerns. If Yuying or Qingxue were in your shoes, they’d say the same thing—they’d want all three of you to thrive."
"Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. A long time ago, I told Yuying something similar. Back then, she was like a fragile sapling, needing protection—I was so afraid she’d break..."
As he spoke, Long Aotian seemed lost in memories—back when he had just argued with Ye Liangchen and his mother, taking the young girl to the playground to gaze at the starry sky.
"At the time, Yuying said she was exhausted, just like you are now, trapped in self-doubt. But look at her now—so happy."
"Life has its ups and downs. What’s meant to come will come."
"And I’ve seen how hard you’re trying."
"What I’m saying is—you’re already doing great."
[I’ve seen your effort.] [You’re already doing great.] These words of affirmation took root in her heart like seeds.
"Brother." Lin Wanning called out softly, deeply moved. The truth was, many people spend their whole lives longing for a single word of encouragement.
Age doesn’t matter.
Children need encouragement, but adults do too—something people often forget.
Sniffling, she turned to Long Aotian with a gentle smile. "Thank you."
"Don’t mention it."
"Go back and get some rest. At your age, you shouldn’t be weighed down by worries."
"Brother, you’re so kind. If I ever do something bad… would you still forgive me?"
Long Aotian gave her a skeptical once-over. "You? Do something bad?"
"Yeah." Lin Wanning nodded. "Brother, don’t underestimate me."
"Tch. Depends on the situation!"
"No, it can’t depend!" She narrowed her eyes playfully. "If you don’t forgive me, I might have to threaten you."
"Threaten me? You asking for a spanking?"
"No way!"
After walking Lin Wanning back to the music academy gates, he waved her off.
"Brother, be careful on your way back. And don’t worry—I’ll keep your secret. If you ever need advice about Yuying, you can talk to me. I can even drop hints for you. Just… don’t go bothering Shen Mengjie, okay?"
"Got it. Now go inside."
Lin Wanning headed into the campus but soon paused, turning back to watch Long Aotian’s retreating figure.
"A brother this wonderful… of course others would want him too. Maybe I’m being a little greedy..."
"I don’t ask for much. Just a tiny bit..."
......
A University.
"Yuying, what’s wrong?" Li Qingxue asked cautiously.
Hu Yuying blinked, looking dazed. "Huh? What?"
"I mean, what’s up with you today? You seem restless, spacing out all day like you’re not really here."
Hu Yuying shook her head. "It’s… it’s nothing. Probably just tired. Really, don’t worry."
"Don’t tell me it’s nothing. If I had a mirror, I’d show you how you look right now." Li Qingxue’s concern was evident.
Something was clearly off about Hu Yuying today.
"Qingxue, I… I don’t know how to say it. I just feel… complicated." Her voice was laced with anxiety.
"What’s going on? We’re best friends. If something’s bothering you, you can tell me."
"Even if I can’t help, we can always ask Long Aotian. No matter what it is, he’ll find a way to fix it."
At the mention of him, Hu Yuying didn’t chime in as usual. Instead, she pressed her lips together, her expression a mix of happiness and unease.
Noticing her conflicted look, Li Qingxue hesitated before asking, "Does this have to do with Long Aotian?"
"Yeah." Hu Yuying nodded faintly.
Li Qingxue exhaled in relief. For a second, she’d thought it was something serious. But if it involved Long Aotian, it couldn’t be that bad.
After all, that guy was head over heels for Hu Yuying.
If she asked for the moon, he’d probably try to get it for her.
"So what happened? Did he do something to upset you? If he did, I’ll straighten him out—"
Before she could finish, Hu Yuying shook her head urgently. "No, Brother Long didn’t do anything wrong."
He would never hurt her...
"Then what is it? You’re driving me crazy!"
Hu Yuying lowered her head, her voice barely audible. "I… my period hasn’t come..."
The moment those words left her mouth, Li Qingxue’s frantic expression froze.
It felt like a sledgehammer had struck her skull, leaving her mind blank.
They weren’t naive anymore.
A missed period, combined with the fact that Hu Yuying and Long Aotian had been together… the answer was obvious.
"Is your cycle usually regular?"
"Yes. Between the 20th and 22nd every month..."
"And today is?"
"The 25th."
Li Qingxue covered her mouth. "You didn’t use protection?"
"We did, but… we ran out. And we thought the timing was safe, so we…"
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
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.
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!
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?!
