On the other side, the three girls returned to the courtyard house after finishing their baths.
Long Aotian had already woken up and was tidying up the place.
"Long-ge, we brought you some soda to drink." Hu Yuying cheerfully handed him the bottle and took the broom from his hands.
Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning also joined in, helping with washing dishes and cleaning.
As she passed by Long Aotian, Lin Wanning stole a deep glance at him, the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye tinged with a faint, bashful blush.
Ever since getting together with Yuying, Long-ge had become so much bolder—even a simple kiss made his hands restless.
The memory of his teasing touch still lingered vividly in her mind.
Seeing Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning with their backs turned, Long Aotian smirked at Hu Yuying and quickly pecked the corner of her lips.
Hu Yuying startled—Qingxue and Wanning were still right there!
Her cheeks flushed pink as she shot him a reproachful yet affectionate look, murmuring softly, "You're such a bad boy, Long-ge."
"Who was the one who kissed me while I was asleep? Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?" His teasing whisper brushed against her ear.
Hu Yuying bit her lower lip. She hadn’t expected him to catch that—she’d only given him the lightest peck on the cheek.
He adored seeing her flustered like this. Even though they’d already crossed every line, her shyness still gave him the same thrill as when they’d first gotten together.
That kind of bashfulness always stirred something primal in him, no matter how much time passed.
"I’m not talking to you anymore." Knowing she couldn’t win against Long-ge when it came to boldness, Hu Yuying stubbornly changed the subject.
Her stubborn denial only made Long Aotian chuckle as he took a sip of his soda.
His mind drifted back to the dampness he’d felt on his lips in his sleep, the muffled gasp in his ear when he’d unconsciously squeezed her softness…
And now, seeing her blushing face again—
This little temptress was truly something else.
With the three girls helping, the cleaning was finished quickly.
Restless as ever, they began exploring the rooms still under renovation.
"Long-ge’s plan is to knock down these two walls once the renovations are done, turning the entire courtyard into a U-shaped layout..."
"And this spot will be a sunroom—perfect for chatting, drinking tea, or just basking in the sunlight..."
Hu Yuying was simply repeating the ideas Long Aotian had shared with her before.
Just picturing it in their minds, the other two could already see the vision.
Sitting in the sunroom during winter, warmed by the fireplace, sipping hot tea, soaking up the sun on clear days—what a perfect, leisurely life.
Seeing their expressions, Hu Yuying smiled softly. She’d felt the same way when Long-ge first described it to her—filled with longing and daydreams.
"This is the main hall."
"Wait, the entire space is just the hall? It’s enormous!" Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning couldn’t help but marvel.
Li Qingxue’s home in Haiwan City was just an apartment.
This hall alone was far bigger than her entire place.
"Long-ge plans to build a spiral staircase here leading to the second floor. These sections—here, here, and here—will all be glassed in to maximize natural light..."
Suddenly, Li Qingxue tugged at Hu Yuying’s sleeve. "Can I have this room?" she asked excitedly, pointing to one of them.
"Of course! There’s plenty of space, so there’ll be lots of rooms to spare." Hu Yuying laughed at her enthusiasm.
Then Li Qingxue turned to Lin Wanning. "Wanning, you can stay in this one. From now on, the three of us will never be apart again!"
Hu Yuying nodded in agreement. As she’d said, there were more than enough rooms—having her best friends living together would make life even more fun.
But Lin Wanning hesitated slightly.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to—she’d love to live with Yuying and Qingxue.
Any one of these rooms could easily fit all three of them.
But she had her own thoughts on the matter.
Noticing her hesitation, Hu Yuying reassured her gently, "It’s really no trouble at all."
Lin Wanning gave a small nod. Worst case, she could just threaten him into getting a hotel room...
With that thought, she joined the discussion about the renovations.
"We should sell more clothes during this time and save up for the renovation costs," Li Qingxue declared firmly. None of them liked taking advantage of others.
Long Aotian had already done so much—if they wanted to live here, they had to contribute too.
Their university years had only just begun. They’d be in the capital for the next four years, maybe even longer.
During this time, being able to stay together like this—how wonderful would that be?
The three of them could lie on the same bed watching short videos, snacking together, bathing together, sleeping together, playing around together...
Just the thought of it made the trio giddy with excitement.
It’s a pity Long Aotian didn’t hear this, or else he’d surely give the girls a pitiful look and whine, "If you’re sleeping with them, then what about me???"
Before, they hadn’t had enough money to rent a place, but ever since the trio started running their online store, they’d saved up a bit, so they spoke with noticeably more confidence now.
Looking down from the second floor, they could see Long Aotian lounging leisurely on a recliner, scrolling through his phone.
"Have you noticed? When Long Aotian is quiet, there’s always this unique aura about him," Li Qingxue remarked, gazing down at him from above. For a moment, it felt like she was back by the riverside, watching him bask in the sunlight on the grass.
Hu Yuying chuckled softly. Of course she knew.
Even back in Haiwan City, they’d sensed it—this indescribable quality, something their current age couldn’t quite put into words.
If they were older, if they’d experienced a little more of life, they’d realize that the essence of what they saw in Long Aotian now boiled down to a single word: stillness.
Whether it was the easily flustered and charming Hu Yuying, the lively and whimsical Li Qingxue, or the cool and ethereal Lin Wanning—or anyone else their age—they were all at that spirited stage of youth, the most vibrant years of their lives. They could achieve physical stillness—quietness, focus—but more often than not, they were surrounded by energy and joy.
Yet as they grew, as life gradually wore down their edges, as friends scattered in pursuit of their own busy lives, a certain calmness would settle into their hearts.
Their minds would slowly grow still...
[Lin Wanning’s little scheme... was about to be exposed.]
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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?"
