Huang Fei grinned foolishly at Shen Mengjie in her swimsuit and said, "Not just two meals—I’d treat you to ten if you wanted."
Shen Mengjie glanced at him. "You look ridiculous. Go help Long Aotian get used to the water first. Wouldn’t want him to actually choke and embarrass himself."
With that, she dove into the pool. Her delicate fingers skimmed the water’s surface, sending ripples outward. Her slender waist swayed gently in the water, her flawless curves radiating an irresistible allure that made Huang Fei’s heart sway along with her.
A sharp slap landed on his shoulder. "Still staring? Hurry up and teach me already! If I choke, the three of you will go down in history as the biggest failures!"
The training session continued until it finally ended.
Shen Mengjie stretched gracefully, water droplets rolling down her long, elegant frame like a living work of art—a picture of serenity. But the moment she turned and saw the four guys splashing around wildly in the pool, she rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Hey, you four! Stop fooling around. Get changed and wait for me outside."
At her call, the four in the pool immediately swam toward the edge. Huang Fei and the other two swam, while Long Aotian waded step by step.
"Got it. We’ll wait outside—no rush. Dry your hair properly; it’s cold out there," Huang Fei said, looking up at Shen Mengjie with concern as he reached the pool’s edge.
Lately, Shen Mengjie hadn’t been as indifferent toward him as before. Their conversations had even been somewhat pleasant.
Huang Fei was more than satisfied with this progress and felt confident that, given time, he could win her over.
"Where are your eyes wandering now?" Shen Mengjie shot him a reproachful look before crossing her long legs.
Triggered by some innate male reflex, Huang Fei just chuckled awkwardly. "So, what do you feel like eating later?"
"Hot pot. This weather’s perfect for it."
"No problem."
Glancing back at the approaching trio, he urged Shen Mengjie to go change first.
She huffed at him. "I’m in a swimsuit, you know." Wrapping a towel around herself, she headed to the changing room.
Huang Fei just kept grinning at her retreating figure, more convinced than ever that she was worth it—her stunning face, her fiery figure, she was practically his dream girl.
Long Aotian and the other two exchanged glances at Huang Fei’s lecherous expression. Moving in sync, they surrounded him and, ignoring his pleas for mercy, tossed him back into the pool.
Emerging from the water, Huang Fei shouted after their retreating backs, "Hot pot! We’re having hot pot for lunch!"
The three didn’t even look back.
"I’ve finished writing the ‘Confession Chapter’ of my ‘Ten Core Theories of Romance’!"
Three splashes sounded instantly as all three jumped back into the pool, then hauled Huang Fei out.
"Smart move. You’ve hit the jackpot by fishing me out today."
Huang Fei was practically glowing with pride. "I’ve studied countless confession experiences and condensed them into two words. I’ll show you later—consider it an education!"
In the changing room, Long Aotian and the other two stared at the two words in Huang Fei’s phone memo—[Sincerity]—and frowned deeply.
"Seriously? Just two words? You’re a real piece of work."
"My fist is itching."
"It’s been a while since I’ve felt homicidal, Huang Fei. You’re the first in a long time."
Meanwhile, Huang Fei, already fully dressed, was sneaking toward the exit. "Gonna go reserve a table for hot pot. Be right back."
Long Aotian scrambled to put his clothes on. "Wait up! There’s something we need to discuss."
"Yeah, hold on! We’ll be quick!" Xu Shuai and Li Longlong frantically dressed as well.
Seeing this, Huang Fei bolted without even grabbing his phone. As a track-and-field athlete, he easily outran the three, leaving them panting in his wake.
Laughing triumphantly at their exhausted state, Huang Fei reveled in the simple joys of male camaraderie.
"What are you guys doing?" Shen Mengjie asked, watching the four of them bent over, catching their breath.
Huang Fei turned to her, about to explain they were just messing around—
Then three whooshes of air rushed past him. Realizing what was coming, his smile faded as he slowly turned to face the three now encircling him. "Can I get a second chance?"
"Too late. We gave you a chance, but after seeing those two words, nothing you say matters now."
This time, it was Long Aotian and the other two who were laughing victoriously.
Watching their antics, Shen Mengjie couldn’t help but smile.
Pulling out her phone, she texted Han Xiaojing and Wang Lijuan to meet at the school gate before walking over to the still-wrestling group. "Alright, enough fooling around. Let’s go—Xiaojing and Lijuan are already heading to the gate."
The three glared at Huang Fei. "Hot pot saved you this time."
"Here’s your phone." Long Aotian pulled Huang Fei’s phone from his pocket and handed it over.
......
Two tables pushed together, two steaming copper pots—this wasn’t their first group meal, so everyone knew the drill. No one held back.
Between bites, Huang Fei asked Long Aotian about the club project assignments.
Shen Mengjie glanced at Long Aotian, biting her chopstick lightly before smiling. "Just watch the screen, count down from three, and whistle when it hits zero. Don’t say I never helped you—this spot’s in high demand."
"Even if it’s just base points, it should be enough for you, right?"
"Thanks. Will this be... troublesome for you?" Long Aotian asked earnestly, knowing how much this meant to him.
Shen Mengjie swirled a slice of lamb in the broth, her gaze flickering toward him before she replied airily, "Not troublesome at all for me."
That infuriatingly playful tone—somehow both endearing and maddening.
"Since I couldn’t help you last time, consider this an apology."
"Wouldn’t want certain people holding grudges and tattling behind my back."
Long Aotian coughed awkwardly. After recent shifts in his domestic standing, he’d learned never to argue logic with women.
Because they wouldn’t bother with logic in the first place. If they had it out for you, twisting words was just the opener, reversing black and white was standard, and winning an argument even when wrong was the finishing move...
Especially someone like Shen Mengjie, whose sharp tongue left no room for rebuttal. Trying to reason with her would only end with him looking like the villain.
Huang Fei nudged Long Aotian with his shoulder. "What’s going on?"
"Nothing, just a small misunderstanding."
He felt like Shen Mengjie was his natural nemesis. Crossing a woman like her was terrifying.
Seeing Long Aotian flustered, Shen Mengjie was thoroughly pleased. Normally, she could never gain the upper hand against him—always one step behind. But now? Pure satisfaction...

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!

ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!

] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"

young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."