The key turned in the lock, opening the gate.
Stepping into the courtyard, everything was eerily quiet.
In the past, Hu Yuying and her brother would have been up by now, wouldn’t they?
Her gaze lingered on the door of the house. Pressing her lips together, she stepped forward and knocked lightly.
Then, as if awaiting judgment, she stood silently before the door.
But as time ticked by, Lin Wanning’s initial composure gradually gave way to nervousness.
The door blocked her view of what lay inside, and the silence was overwhelming.
Yet she had wronged Hu Yuying. No matter how anxious she felt, she could only wait.
Inside the room.
The moment the courtyard gate opened, the two of them heard it.
Then came the knock on the door.
Hu Yuying heard it but didn’t react.
Long Aotian only held her hand tighter, unwilling to let go.
A long time passed.
Finally, Hu Yuying moved.
The motion made Long Aotian’s heart clench.
The next second, he watched as the little girl undid the buttons of her coat.
She shed the outer layer, then moved to her inner clothing without pause...
Soon, Hu Yuying stood bare before him.
"Take me."
"Huh?" Long Aotian thought he’d misheard—how could Ah Ying want this now?
Suddenly, her cool palms cupped his face, and soft lips pressed against his...
"Take me."
Her whisper sent a shiver down his spine.
Long Aotian wrapped his arms gently around her.
He cherished her—so, so much. Like a treasure lost and found, his every touch was tender.
The shimmer in her clear, beautiful eyes made his heart ache.
"Don’t cry..." His fingers brushed carefully at the corners of her eyes, his voice low with guilt.
Hu Yuying clung to him as he hovered above her. "Take me."
......
Outside, the sounds from the room reached Lin Wanning.
Her heartbeat raced uncontrollably.
The unmistakable, intimate noises filled her ears.
She knew this was Hu Yuying’s way of punishing her.
But she had wronged her first.
She deserved all of this.
The sounds grew louder. Lin Wanning leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as her breathing turned ragged.
Yet Hu Yuying seemed determined not to let her off—her moans grew fiercer, more urgent, impossible to ignore...
Lin Wanning slid down the wall, a wave of defeat washing over her.
Listening to the intermittent sounds, she sniffled and stared up at the sky.
......
Hu Yuying finally loosened her grip. "Stop."
At her words, Long Aotian clenched his fists, trembling as he fought to rein in his desire.
Looking down, he saw tears streaking her face. His breath heavy, he rasped, "I’m sorry," over and over.
Hu Yuying weakly thumped his chest. "You’re such a jerk, Long-ge. You know how much I love you, and you take advantage of it."
"We’ve known each other the longest. You like me too, don’t you? I was your first..."
"Haven’t I given myself to you whenever you wanted?"
"Or have you already grown tired of me?"
Long Aotian’s heart twisted at her tears. "No, no. I love you—more than just a little. I’m not tired of you. I love being close to you."
"You were my first. No one could ever replace you."
Hu Yuying studied him, fresh tears spilling.
Long Aotian panicked, unsure what to do.
He meant to pull away—
But her legs wrapped around his waist. "Long-ge, I really, really love you."
"What’s done is done. I don’t care about right or wrong anymore."
"You said you wanted to give me a home. Then in this home, you’ll listen to me. No more reckless behavior unless I allow it."
"I’ll obey you. From now on, you come first."
With his promise, she thumped his chest again—then kissed him fiercely.
This time, there was no gentleness. Every move was possessive, demanding.
How could she accept it? She couldn’t bear to let go, yet Lin Wanning had taken what was hers.
Two hours slipped by.
The door opened.
Hu Yuying stepped out and looked at Lin Wanning, still curled against the wall. Her voice was calm. "Come in."
Lin Wanning didn’t dare meet her eyes. She nodded faintly and tried to stand—
But her legs, numb from crouching too long, gave out. She nearly collapsed.
Hu Yuying clicked her tongue in frustration but caught her anyway.
Long-ge had taken all the blame, but after knowing him for so long, she knew the truth better than anyone...
"Thank you," Lin Wanning murmured.
Inside, Hu Yuying guided her to a chair, then turned to Long Aotian. "Long-ge, leave."
He glanced at Lin Wanning.
She shook her head slightly, signaling for him to go.
Once the door closed, Hu Yuying faced Lin Wanning again. "Explain."
"I’m sorry. It’s all my fault."
"Don’t apologize to me. What you did is unforgivable."
"Do you love Long-ge? Since when?"
Lin Wanning twisted her hands nervously. "A long time ago. I’m sorry, Ah Ying... I love him so much. I’m a terrible homewrecker. I was too greedy..."
"I wanted him, and I wanted our friendship too..."
"Ah Ying, it’s all on me. Hate me, curse me—it’s fine. Long-ge was coerced. I blackmailed him with a video. He never stopped worrying about you..."
Hu Yuying watched her silently. Under that gaze, Lin Wanning kept her head bowed.
Just last night, they’d bathed together, shared a room, laughed and talked. Now, everything had changed.
After a long pause, Hu Yuying spoke softly. "As a friend, you call me Ah Ying. I won’t fault you for that. But in this home, what should you call me?"
Lin Wanning looked up, her eyes red and swollen.
"...Sister."
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."
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
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.
