"Are you okay, Brother Chen?" Gao Quan asked with concern as he watched Ye Liangchen clutching his chest, his face filled with sorrow and heartache.
If he hadn’t understood before, seeing Li Qingxue and Hu Yuying both climbing onto Long Aotian’s electric scooter made everything crystal clear...
Clearly, Brother Chen had been cheated on...
Ye Liangchen raised a hand to stop Gao Quan from trying to support him, letting out a bitter laugh. "I didn’t expect you to witness this scene!"
"Ten years of companionship couldn’t withstand Long Aotian’s sweet talk."
"Don’t pity me. Because soon enough, they’ll all come crawling back to me, and Long Aotian will be tamed like a dog!"
Gao Quan didn’t fully understand, but the confidence in Ye Liangchen’s eyes was so intense it was almost blinding—as if a radiant light had emerged behind him, making it hard for Gao Quan to see clearly!
Just then, a figure approached swiftly and covered Ye Liangchen’s eyes with their hands. "Guess who I am!"
Gao Quan was stunned for a moment. The same Ye Liangchen who had been seething with anger just moments ago was now smiling—a genuine, heartfelt smile.
"I’m guessing it’s Shaohua—Xue Shaohua!"
The boy covering Ye Liangchen’s eyes burst into laughter. "You got it! But no prize, sorry."
Hearing this, Ye Liangchen quickly covered Xue Shaohua’s mouth and awkwardly glanced at Gao Quan. "This is the person I’ve always told you about—my best friend, my closest brother. Gao Quan!"
At this introduction, Xue Shaohua looked surprised but also relieved that Ye Liangchen had stopped him in time.
He immediately let go of Ye Liangchen and smiled at Gao Quan. "Nice to meet you. Ye Liangchen talks about you all the time. I’m Xue Shaohua, currently studying Business Management at University A."
"Nice to meet you too! I’m Gao Quan. Liangchen and I grew up together. Really happy to know you."
"No need for formalities. Ye Liangchen’s personality is what brought us together as good friends. Since we’re all friends, let’s keep it casual."
"Is this your first time in the capital? Let’s grab a meal together later and plan a trip around the city tomorrow."
Ye Liangchen had mentioned before that outside of their plans, there was one key figure who would play a crucial role at the right moment.
Now it seemed that person was Gao Quan.
So, Xue Shaohua made sure to be extra polite to him.
Ye Liangchen nodded in satisfaction, secretly tracing his finger against Xue Shaohua’s palm.
Feeling the subtle touch, Xue Shaohua smirked slightly.
Seeing how friendly Xue Shaohua was, Gao Quan felt relieved.
After all, this was his first time in the capital, and Ye Liangchen was the only person he knew. If his friend turned out to be difficult, it would only cause unnecessary trouble for Brother Chen.
Luckily, this guy seemed easygoing.
Gao Quan grinned. "Then I’ll take you up on that."
"Let’s go. There are a few places nearby with great food. I’ll treat you."
Xue Shaohua flicked his hair as he spoke.
Watching him, Gao Quan subconsciously adjusted his own dyed-yellow side-swept bangs. "Sounds good. I’m actually pretty hungry."
They had a simple meal, with all three drinking a bit.
Afterward, they booked a room nearby for Gao Quan.
As Gao Quan stumbled drunkenly into his room, Ye Liangchen returned to the adjacent one and immediately messaged Xue Shaohua.
Soon, the door opened.
Xue Shaohua walked in. "So, Gao Quan is the ‘key figure’ you mentioned?"
"Yeah." At this, Ye Liangchen’s expression turned serious. He nodded heavily.
"If Long Aotian accepts reality, that’s for the best."
"But if he tries to fight back, Gao Quan will be the most critical piece in this game."
Taking a deep breath, Ye Liangchen’s brows furrowed with conflict.
He truly wanted to protect Gao Quan. In his past life, Gao Quan’s departure had become his most painful memory.
Was there really no way to change fate this time?
"Maybe this is destiny—inescapable." Just like how Hu Yuying, Li Qingxue, and Lin Wanning would eventually return to him, this was fate!
"Let’s treat him well these next couple of days."
"Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. If you don’t have major classes in the afternoon, let’s take Gao Quan to a bar. He’s never been to one before. And this time, neither of us needs to hold back our charm."
"What do you mean?" Xue Shaohua flicked his hair again, revealing the red crystal-studded earring on his ear.
Ye Liangchen poked his nose playfully. "I mean, tomorrow night, we’ll unleash our full charm—no more suppressing it. Let’s get Gao Quan a one-night stand. I don’t want him to die a virgin!"
Xue Shaohua frowned slightly. "Is all this really necessary just to deal with Long Aotian?"
Ye Liangchen looked out the window. "There are things you don’t understand. What kind of person do you think Long Aotian is? Better safe than sorry."
The only reason he hadn’t moved against Long Aotian yet was because the man was insane—if pushed too far, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
Otherwise, Ye Liangchen would’ve crushed Long Aotian long ago instead of letting that clown prance around.
"Fine, I’ll follow your lead. You know Long Aotian better than I do."
Xue Shaohua flicked his hair again, smirking. "Then tomorrow, I’ll go all out. If I attract too many girls, you’ll have to help me handle them."
Ye Liangchen grinned confidently, tossing his bangs. "Don’t be so sure. When it comes to charm, I’ve never backed down from anyone!"
Xue Shaohua scoffed. "Then let’s see who gets more attention tomorrow."
"Sure. But I like a wager. What should we bet on?" Ye Liangchen was brimming with confidence.
"Name your terms!"
"How about this—whoever attracts fewer girls has to be on top for a week."
"Deal!"
Xue Shaohua and Ye Liangchen shook on it.
"What about tonight?"
"Same as always—rock-paper-scissors."
They hid their hands behind their backs, then revealed them simultaneously.
Except this time, Xue Shaohua was a split second slower.
"You cheated!"
Before Ye Liangchen could finish, Xue Shaohua tackled him onto the bed.
"You cheated last time. Consider this payback!"
"Ow—!"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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.
