The village was never short of vast open fields.
Not long ago, snow had just fallen.
Long Aotian finally saw the white world Hu Yuying had described.
In the empty fields, the wheat sprouts had barely grown before being buried under the snow, stretching into a boundless expanse of white.
Walking through such scenery,
one couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace.
Hand in hand as they strolled through the fields, Long Aotian asked softly, "Do you like it here?"
The village was nothing like the city.
In the city, there were endless places to have fun.
But here, apart from the sprawling fields, there were hardly any entertainment facilities.
"I love it," Long Aotian replied. "After seeing nothing but steel and concrete, the endless traffic and noise, coming here feels so quiet. The air is fresh, and it’s so relaxing."
Then he turned to Hu Yuying. "What did you usually do for fun when you were alone in the village?"
"Oh, I had plenty of things to do!" Hu Yuying said playfully.
"Like what? Take me along—I want to experience your daily life, little girl."
"It might be a bit boring. Are you sure you still want to try?"
Long Aotian didn’t answer, simply looking at her intently.
"Then wait here for me a moment," Hu Yuying said before turning and running off.
About ten minutes later, she returned carrying a vegetable basket. "Long Aotian, come with me."
She led him toward the back mountain.
The back mountain had a well-trodden path from frequent use.
But with the recent snowfall, their progress was slow.
It took them a while to reach Hu Yuying’s secret hideout—a secluded little platform.
Scattered around were broken bricks, some still bearing traces of scorch marks.
Hu Yuying gathered the bricks, skillfully arranging them into a circle, then took dry firewood from her basket and started a fire.
"When I was alone, I’d help my grandparents with chores, and in my free time, I’d come here," she explained.
"Sometimes I’d read, sometimes I’d grill food, just sitting here, looking at the distant village, the blue sky, the white clouds..."
She turned to Long Aotian. "Pretty boring, right?"
"Not at all," he said. "Many people would give anything for this kind of peace and quiet. And here you are, enjoying what others dream of in your spare time. How could that be boring?"
Hu Yuying nodded gently.
"I’m lucky—lucky to be born in this era." She crouched down, feeding the fire with more wood. "In the past, many people never traveled farther than the nearest town in their entire lives."
"My grandparents were like that. I’m fortunate to have left the village, to see the wider world, to witness broader skies and clouds."
"I cherish it. I work hard. But no matter how good things are outside, every time I come back here, I feel an indescribable comfort. So no, I’m never bored."
As she spoke, Long Aotian cleared two spots on the platform and pulled her down to sit beside him.
No words were needed. Just being together was enough.
Gradually, Hu Yuying leaned closer, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Did you take good care of yourself while I was gone?" This separation had felt unbearably long for her.
Even during summer breaks, they’d never been apart this long.
She missed him—so much that even though they were the closest of people, she couldn’t bring herself to say it outright. Instead, she asked indirectly.
"I missed you. So much."
Long Aotian turned to look at her. Their faces were so close now.
He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers—a fleeting touch, cool yet warm with longing.
"A hint of alcohol," Hu Yuying murmured.
Long Aotian chuckled. "That’s from my silent conversations with Grandpa."
At his words, Hu Yuying laughed and lightly punched his chest. "What did my grandpa say to you?"
Wrapping an arm around her, Long Aotian replied, "He said a lot."
"Really?" Hu Yuying was skeptical. She knew her grandfather better than anyone—a quiet, simple man who rarely spoke. Would he really have talked so much with Long Aotian?
"Really. He said his granddaughter has a gentle nature. If she ever does anything wrong, he hopes I’ll be patient and not bully her. And if she makes me angry, I should tell him, and he’ll scold her for me..."
Hu Yuying fell silent.
The love and concern of family always struck straight to the heart.
"But I told him I love everything about you—your little whims, your occasional temper. Loving all your good qualities means I can embrace your flaws too."
"Putting you first was never just empty words."
"You might not believe it, but I actually love it when you fuss over me. Some people might feel stifled, but not me."
Hu Yuying bit her lip and looked up. "Really?"
"Really. Being good to you is my duty, my choice, and my privilege. It’s what I want to do for you."
"If I were ten years younger mentally, maybe I’d be different. But as I am now, I just want to be myself. The way you stand up for me, the way you always give me face in front of others—you deserve everything I can give."
Hu Yuying smiled faintly. "Sometimes I feel like you know everything, Long Aotian. You’re almost too mature."
"Being a little oblivious isn’t always a bad thing. Why take everything so seriously?"
"I know you all mean well, and that’s enough for me. The rest, I’ll leave to you. I’m not some domineering man—like I said, I like being looked after."
"Live in the moment, be happy now. With all of you, I always feel this inexplicable guilt. Maybe your lives would’ve been brighter without me. But since you chose me, I’ll do my best to make you happy."
"That’s not true at all," Hu Yuying protested. "Love goes both ways. We want you to be happy too."
Suddenly mentioning Li Qingxue and Lin Wanning stirred a strange emotion in Hu Yuying—something buried deep in her soul.
She didn’t even understand why she could accept them so easily, let alone get along with them so well...
If she had to explain it, maybe in their past lives, all three of them owed Long Aotian something. And now, in this life, they were here to repay him...
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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."
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?”
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
