"But now you have to listen to me, or else I'll..."
"Or else you'll hit me, right?" Hu Yuying had already learned to anticipate his words.
"Smart!" Long Aotian gently tapped Hu Yuying's head with his hand.
Hu Yuying rubbed the spot where Long Aotian had tapped her and quickened her pace to catch up with him.
She felt a sense of pride, though even she couldn't quite explain where this feeling came from.
It seemed that since meeting Long Aotian, he had only ever tapped her head like this.
"What time are we getting up tomorrow?"
"I usually wake up at seven."
"Okay, got it. Can we go to school together tomorrow?"
"Of course."
This was Long Aotian's promise to Hu Yuying.
Having been through the same experience of studying alone in a foreign place, he deeply understood the loneliness she felt.
Besides, it wasn't a big deal—they were going the same way anyway.
This girl needed to talk more to liven up her personality.
Soon, they arrived at the residential building in the compound.
Long Aotian didn't stop but continued walking alongside Hu Yuying.
"Long Aotian, you're home," Hu Yuying said softly, glancing at him.
"Stop talking. I just like walking a bit more at night—it helps me sleep better."
"But..."
"No buts. It's annoying. Be careful, or I'll hit you."
Hu Yuying lowered her gaze, stealing a glance at Long Aotian. She bit her lip lightly and didn't say anything more.
Only when they reached the village entrance did Long Aotian turn back.
Watching Long Aotian's retreating figure, Hu Yuying took a deep breath. "Thank you, Long Aotian."
Long Aotian didn't respond but simply waved his hand behind his back, signaling her to go ahead.
"Thank you, Long Aotian," Hu Yuying whispered again, this time so softly that only she could hear it.
Back at her rented home, she opened the door and turned on the light.
It was quiet.
The night was silent, and so was Hu Yuying's home.
Sitting on the couch, she had grown accustomed to the solitude.
This was how it had been for the past three years.
But now, her heart felt different.
This sense of loneliness and silence seemed to be tearing her apart.
"Turns out, I still can't fully adapt to being alone," Hu Yuying murmured to herself.
In the past, she had enjoyed the solitude and the quiet.
But now, compared to the loneliness, she longed to hear Long Aotian's voice.
"It's so nice to have someone to talk to..."
"I'm really lucky."
After saying this, Hu Yuying smiled and headed to the kitchen to prepare her dinner.
To an outsider, Hu Yuying had changed so much.
Once a cute yet gloomy young woman, she now wore a smile—a sign of the best and most perfect transformation.
Seeing the remaining meat in the fridge,
Hu Yuying ran back to her room and took her phone from under her pillow.
She opened her chat with Long Aotian: "Long Aotian, do you want porridge tomorrow?"
"Yes," came Long Aotian's quick reply.
Seeing his response, Hu Yuying put her phone in her pocket and returned to the kitchen. She took out the meat to thaw and cut a portion.
After finishing, she sent another message: "Okay."
Seeing Hu Yuying's message,
Long Aotian turned over and turned off the light.
Meanwhile,
Hu Yuying put the thawed meat in the fridge's fresh-keeping compartment.
She washed up, changed her clothes, and lay down on her bed.
The next morning,
she turned off the alarm.
Hu Yuying rubbed her messy, fluffy hair and tied it up with a claw clip.
The morning was still chilly, and she shivered slightly, wrinkling her nose, which helped her wake up.
She went to the kitchen, filled the pot, and began chopping the meat.
Everything was done in an orderly manner, without a hint of panic.
Soon, the sky began to lighten.
Sitting on the doorstep, she propped her chin on her hand and gazed at the whitening sky.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Hu Yuying was startled, not expecting anyone to knock so early in the morning.
Fear crept in.
She remembered the last time someone knocked—it had been Ye Liangchen.
Nervously, she grabbed a broom and approached the door, trying to peek through the crack to see who it was.
"Hu Yuying," the person outside called out, having spotted her through the gap.
Hearing the voice, Hu Yuying put down the broom and opened the door.
As the door swung open, Long Aotian was about to complain about her not checking her phone,
but he paused for a moment.
Standing before him was Hu Yuying, wearing a loose floral short-sleeve shirt and matching knee-length shorts.
Her slender arms and legs, pale and delicate, were somewhat dazzling.
"Long Aotian, why... why are you here?"
Her innocent, clear eyes sparkled with surprise and amusement, her long lashes blinking softly. The snow-white nape of her neck, exposed by her tied-up hair, exuded a faint, alluring fragrance—a mix of shampoo and her natural scent.
Seeing Long Aotian's stunned expression, Hu Yuying tentatively reached out her hand and suddenly noticed her bare arms!
She snapped back to reality, looking down, and a blush spread across her neck!
Quickly clutching her loose collar, she turned around. "I... I forgot to change my clothes. I'll go change..."
Without waiting for Long Aotian's reply, she hurried back to her bedroom.
Her flushed face and soft, anxious voice perfectly embodied a charm that was both delicate and enchanting.
Watching Hu Yuying's retreating figure, Long Aotian took a deep breath. Though still youthful, she already possessed a beauty that could captivate anyone.
Long Aotian touched his nose, deciding to take back his earlier thoughts.
Hu Yuying wasn't just a stick—she had her own charms...
Back in her room, Hu Yuying looked at herself in the mirror.
She loosened her grip on her collar, revealing her collarbone, and rubbed her face in frustration.
Recalling Long Aotian's stunned gaze,
she stood on tiptoe, trying to see if anything was visible from his perspective.
Of course, she couldn't see anything, so she assumed Long Aotian hadn't either.
Taking a deep breath, she changed into her school uniform and walked back out.
Long Aotian was standing in the yard, not entering the house.
Pushing aside the bamboo curtain, Hu Yuying tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, embarrassed. "I... I didn't know you'd come over..."
"Didn't you say we were having porridge?" Long Aotian coughed lightly.
"Oh, right! Just wait a moment, Long Aotian. It's almost ready." She went into the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot, and checked the fragrant, bubbling porridge.
Hu Yuying turned off the stove.
Through the window, she glanced at Long Aotian's figure and pressed her hand to her chest...
] [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!"
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?!
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."
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
