When Shen Mengjie saw Long Aotian and Lin Wanning walking out of the hotel together, her first reaction was to assume she must have been mistaken.
But in reality, she wasn’t wrong—Lin Wanning’s icy elegance and breathtaking beauty were the kind that left an indelible impression after just one glance.
Watching the two chatting and laughing as they walked into the distance, Shen Mengjie instinctively followed them.
She saw them enter a bubble tea shop, watched as Long Aotian escorted Lin Wanning back to the entrance of the music conservatory, observed Lin Wanning rising on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on Long Aotian’s cheek, and noted the resigned yet fond way Long Aotian ruffled her long hair afterward.
A wicked smile curled at Shen Mengjie’s lips. "I told you we’re the same kind of people."
Ever since she first met Hu Yuying and her two friends at University T, her seasoned instincts as a "queen of the sea" had picked up on something—whenever Hu Yuying and the others mentioned Long Aotian, their expressions varied, yet there was a shared undercurrent of emotion in their tones.
From that moment, she had sensed that Long Aotian was cut from the same cloth as her.
And now, it seemed she was right.
If her memory served, wasn’t Hu Yuying supposed to be Long Aotian’s girlfriend?
Not long ago, he had been earnestly planning a grand romantic confession for her. So what was this?
Sneaking around with Lin Wanning behind his girlfriend’s back.
The thought made Shen Mengjie’s smirk deepen.
She had stumbled upon an incredibly entertaining game.
Just imagining it sent a thrill of excitement through her.
Vehicles weren’t allowed on campus roads—not even bicycles.
Long Aotian carefully maneuvered his electric scooter along the bike lane.
The area around the university was always bustling, especially at this hour of the evening.
Suddenly, a figure stepped into his path. Long Aotian slammed on the brakes, but even so, the person in front of him was visibly startled.
"Long Aotian! Could you slow down?" Shen Mengjie planted her hands on her hips, feigning irritation. "You almost sent me flying."
Recognizing her, Long Aotian exhaled in relief before offering an apologetic smile. "I hit the brakes in time. You okay?"
Shen Mengjie rolled her eyes. "No, I’m not. You scared me."
Seeing Long Aotian flounder for a response, she couldn’t help but smirk.
This was exactly how men like him were—the moment you played the victim, even if you were being unreasonable, they’d be at a loss.
"What’s the rush, anyway?" Shen Mengjie knew better than to push too hard right now. Instead, she needed to ease him into a relaxed state.
"Picking someone up."
"Perfect. Drop me off at the artificial lake first."
Long Aotian glanced at his phone.
"What, you nearly run me over, and now you won’t even do me this little favor?" Shen Mengjie shot him a sidelong look.
The easiest and most effective way to handle someone with a strong moral compass was to be deliberately unreasonable.
"Fine. But what are you going there for so late?"
Long Aotian turned the scooter around and motioned for her to hop on.
"Why the interrogation?" Shen Mengjie deliberately leaned close to his ear, her tone teasing. "Trying to keep tabs on me?"
"Never mind. Shouldn’t have asked."
When they reached the lake, Long Aotian stopped. "We’re here."
Shen Mengjie dismounted, stretching lazily in front of him before sauntering toward the water.
"Hey, my helmet." Long Aotian called after her.
Earlier, she had insisted on wearing it, claiming she didn’t trust his riding skills enough to risk being thrown off.
Shen Mengjie turned back, amused. "Thought you didn’t want it. Come get it yourself."
She tilted her head up, exposing the delicate curve of her neck. "Go on, take it off."
"I should’ve dumped you on the road!" Long Aotian reached over to unfasten the buckle and retrieve the helmet.
Shen Mengjie studied him, her gaze flickering with unreadable thoughts. Then, in one swift motion, she looped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes, and pressed her lips to his.
The moment their mouths touched, Long Aotian shoved her away.
"What the hell are you doing?" He gripped her wrist tightly, glaring at her. "Are you out of your mind?"
Faced with his anger, Shen Mengjie merely chuckled. "Does it bother you that much?"
But when she saw his frown deepen, she shrugged, her playful demeanor fading. "It’s just been a while since I kissed anyone. I didn’t think you’d care."
"I thought we were the same. I assumed you’d enjoy it too."
In her eyes, Long Aotian had to crave that kind of thrill—why else would he be sneaking around with Lin Wanning while dating Hu Yuying?
Shen Mengjie knew she was attractive, nearly on par with Lin Wanning herself.
Yet the fury in Long Aotian’s eyes was unmistakably real. For once, she softened her tone.
"If you don’t want me telling Huang Fei about this, don’t pull another stunt like that."
With that, he wrenched his hand free, put on his helmet, and sped off without another word.
Watching him leave, Shen Mengjie’s expression remained unreadable.
"You alright?" A concerned voice broke the silence as Ye Liangchen and Xue Shaohua emerged from the trees, eyeing her with worry.
"Did you get it?" Shen Mengjie asked calmly.
"Yeah!" Xue Shaohua grinned down at his phone, already relishing Long Aotian’s impending downfall.
On the screen was a photo of Long Aotian and Shen Mengjie kissing.
After a quick glance, Shen Mengjie forwarded the image to herself and deleted it from Xue Shaohua’s phone.
Xue Shaohua tensed. "Why’d you delete it? I was gonna—"
Shen Mengjie cut him off with a look. "I have a copy now. And don’t you think keeping that photo would be risky for me too?"
Her gaze shifted, a hint of amusement returning. "That earring looks good on you, by the way. Really suits your style."
Xue Shaohua flushed, biting his lip and tossing his hair with exaggerated flair. "Just got them today. You noticed? Stop paying so much attention to me—I might accidentally unleash too much charm!"
Ahem. Ye Liangchen cleared his throat pointedly, angling his head to show off the studs in both ears.
"Wow, so sexy," Shen Mengjie cooed.
Ye Liangchen fought back a grin, his nostrils flaring comically from the effort.
To most women, such blatantly manipulative flattery would be nauseating.
But to these two, it was nothing less than genuine admiration from a sweet girl who simply couldn’t help but speak her mind.
At first, both had pursued Shen Mengjie with ulterior motives.
Yet somewhere along the way—without even realizing it—they had been tamed into her eager lapdogs.
With a disdainful glance at the two, Shen Mengjie turned her attention to the photo on her phone, a faint smirk curling at the corners of her lips...
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."
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
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?”
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
