"Don’t turn around, or you’ll get your clothes wet. It’s cold out," Long Aotian reminded.
"Got it," Hu Yuying replied softly, glancing back at him.
She knew those words were meant for her.
What should have been a quick watering task ended up taking much longer thanks to the three of them fooling around.
Only after they’d tired themselves out did Long Aotian pull on his rubber boots and start dropping seeds into the holes Hu Yuying had dug earlier.
"I’ll go get you some water," Hu Yuying said, heading toward the small house.
"I’ll help with the cups," Li Qingxue chimed in, following her.
Lin Wanning sat on a small stool, propping her chin on one hand, her gaze fixed intently on Long Aotian.
As soon as he finished his task and stood up, Long Aotian met her eyes.
It was as if her entire world had narrowed down to just him.
Noticing his attention, Lin Wanning parted her red lips slightly, miming a playful "nom nom" motion before lightly licking the corner of her mouth, her eyes sparkling with amusement as she smiled at him.
So brazen.
Long Aotian cleared his throat and looked away. "You feeling okay?"
Hu Yuying had mentioned that during their video call the night before, Lin Wanning had looked pale and utterly exhausted. He knew exactly how much he’d pushed her.
"One night’s rest was all I needed," she said, blinking playfully. "I’m actually pretty tough, you know."
"If you want me, Wanning can handle it."
Hearing her tone, Long Aotian figured she was probably fine.
He didn’t press further—who knew what outrageous things might come out of her mouth next?
He pulled off his gloves and set them aside just as Hu Yuying returned with a water pitcher.
"Here, Long Aotian, drink up." She poured him a cup and handed it over.
Today, he’d done most of the work, much like the husbands in her village who toiled in the fields—always greeted with the first cup of water and the first bowl of food upon returning home.
Long Aotian downed the water in one go and grinned at her. "Tastes great."
Hu Yuying blushed, shooting him a shy, reproachful glance while Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning watched. "It’s just plain water. How can it taste ‘great’?"
Long Aotian only laughed.
Seeing him smile, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but smile too, though she quickly turned away, addressing the other two. "You two should drink as well."
Li Qingxue wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Too gross. I can’t drink this—the stench of love is overpowering."
The teasing remark even drew a laugh from Lin Wanning.
"Qingxue!" Hu Yuying stomped her foot. "Stop making fun of me!"
Her cheeks still pink, she stole a glance at Long Aotian, who was just grinning goofily at her. The warmth in her heart was indescribable.
How could she not adore someone who always put her first?
Normally, she’d have tickled Li Qingxe for that, but with the workers still around, she held back. They were close friends, but it was better to behave properly in front of others.
Long Aotian reached out and gently smoothed down the unruly strand of hair on Hu Yuying’s head—he hadn’t even had time to brush her hair today.
Watching their intimacy, Lin Wanning pressed her lips together and looked away.
She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from wanting the same treatment—Long Aotian patting her head, praising her with a "Wanning, you’re amazing..."
Just that would make her heart swell with happiness.
"Wanning, what are you spacing out for?" Li Qingxue waved a hand in front of her face.
"Nothing," Lin Wanning said, snapping back to reality. She looked at Hu Yuying and Long Aotian. "Yuying and my brother’s relationship is really enviable."
Her gaze lingered more on Long Aotian, her longing unmistakable—though only he could truly understand it.
Hu Yuying, hearing this, turned to Long Aotian with a smile. Yes, she too thought their bond was special.
Long Aotian glanced at Lin Wanning but kept his focus on Hu Yuying.
Even so, Lin Wanning was content.
As long as he still cared for her, wasn’t that enough?
He wanted to say something to her, but before he could, Lin Wanning perked up again.
There wasn’t an ounce of pretense between her and Hu Yuying.
If not for that day on the lounge chair—when she’d been restrained, her emotions laid bare—it would’ve been hard to guess Lin Wanning’s true feelings.
Yet it was precisely this girl who had complicated things, making him question himself in ways he still struggled to accept.
Even now, Long Aotian couldn’t explain why, but seeing her cry while clinging desperately to him had felt like a boulder crashing into his chest...
That one moment of vulnerability had led to this.
"Brother."
The call snapped him out of his thoughts.
Lin Wanning stood before him, hands behind her back, her playful smirk making him pause. "Huh?"
She giggled at his dazed expression. "We’re taking Yuying out. You stay home and keep watch, okay?"
Long Aotian looked at Hu Yuying, who nodded eagerly—yes, they were going out to play.
He couldn’t help but laugh. Wasn’t staying by his side better?
A tiny pang of jealousy flickered, but he played it cool. "Fine. I’ll go buy groceries later. Don’t stay out too late."
The three chimed in unison, "We won’t~!"
Once outside, Hu Yuying piped up, "I know a really pretty spot. I’ll take you there."
"Perfect! I could use some new material anyway," Li Qingxue said, nudging Lin Wanning. "Wanning’s been slacking."
Lin Wanning had been the one gathering material before, but those two days... well, she’d been otherwise occupied.
Most of her time had been spent in bed, leaving no chance for scenery hunting.
Before long, Long Aotian’s phone chimed—a special notification tone reserved for one person. He didn’t even need to check to know it was Hu Yuying.
The first message read: [Long Aotian, we’re near the market now. We’ll buy groceries and head back soon.]
The second was a photo.
A small bridge, a babbling stream, and a pair of delicate, fair feet dipping into the clear water—looking all the more tempting for it.
Long Aotian’s expression darkened.
Her period wasn’t even over yet. He’d been fussing like a mother hen earlier, warning her not to play in the water, and the moment he wasn’t around, there she was, splashing around again...
He decided then and there: when Hu Yuying got back, she was getting a proper scolding.
No amount of cute antics would save her this time—her backside was definitely in for it.
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."
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?”
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
