After dinner, Shen Mengjie helped clean up and then mentioned she needed to return to school.
"It's already so late—why not go back tomorrow?" The days were short, and night had fallen completely by then. It wasn’t ideal for a girl to walk alone in the dark.
Besides, she had already stayed for several days—one more night wouldn’t make a difference, Hu Yuying thought. And the bruises on Shen Mengjie’s face hadn’t faded yet. Wouldn’t returning to school now invite unnecessary gossip?
Shen Mengjie looked at Hu Yuying intently.
She had once said that no one in this world was purely innocent.
Yet this sudden concern made Shen Mengjie wonder—could Hu Yuying be an exception?
She was a girl, one who considered herself decent-looking.
To ask her boyfriend for help—did Hu Yuying really feel no discomfort or suspicion at all?
If their roles were reversed, Shen Mengjie didn’t think she could do the same.
With a soft laugh, she shook her head lightly. "It’s fine. I’ve already overstayed my welcome. It’s the start of the semester—the streets will be lively."
If only Hu Yuying could hear Shen Mengjie’s thoughts.
If she could, she would tell her firmly:
Her trust was in Long Aotian alone. It had nothing to do with anyone else—just him.
"Then let Long Aotian walk you back."
"Just to the subway station." This time, Shen Mengjie didn’t refuse.
As they walked, Shen Mengjie glanced at Long Aotian. "Sorry for the trouble."
"No trouble at all. Consider it a post-meal stroll," Long Aotian said with a smile. "Take your time on the way back. With so many students returning, the streets should be busy."
"And also..." He paused before continuing, "Get some ointment."
At this, Shen Mengjie suddenly stopped walking.
"What’s wrong?"
"I suddenly regret something."
"Regret what?"
Shen Mengjie stared at Long Aotian.
The intensity of her gaze made him uneasy.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
After a long moment, Shen Mengjie finally turned away. "The subway’s just ahead. You can go back now."
"Are you okay?" The shift in her mood was unmistakable.
It felt like she had something to say but held back.
"Really, I’m fine. The station’s just across the street. If you keep walking me, will you escort me all the way to school?"
"Alright then."
"Be careful." Long Aotian waved and turned to leave.
Watching his retreating figure, Shen Mengjie murmured under her breath, "This is the third time you’ve shown concern for me. Hurry up and go, or I might really regret it..."
She exhaled slowly, touching the still-tender corner of her mouth. Everything dissolved into a bitter smile.
......
Back at home, Lin Wanning and Li Qingxue had already retreated to their rooms.
They had stayed up late talking the night before and hadn’t slept well on the train, so exhaustion had taken over early.
Hu Yuying, meanwhile, was tidying up and putting away clothes.
Lin Wanning had already cleaned the room the previous night, so they could go straight to bed without any extra fuss.
Hearing the door open and footsteps, Hu Yuying spoke without turning around. "You’re back."
"Yeah, just walked her to the subway. It was quick."
As he spoke, Long Aotian wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Stop cleaning. Let’s sleep early tonight."
"I’m almost done unpacking the suitcase. You go warm up the bed."
"Mission accepted."
In no time, he was under the covers.
Watching his speedy undressing, Hu Yuying couldn’t help but laugh. "No one strips faster than you!"
"Come on, I’ve already warmed it up for you."
"Leave the rest for tomorrow. We still have two more days—no rush tonight."
Under Long Aotian’s coaxing, Hu Yuying glanced between their half-unpacked suitcases and him, his presence thoroughly distracting.
In the end, she gave in and slipped into bed.
The blankets were warm, as if heated by a little furnace.
"Aren’t you tired?"
"Exhausted."
"Then sleep!"
......
The next morning.
"Chen, thanks for seeing me off." Gao Quan turned to Ye Liangchen, his voice low.
"It’s the least I could do." Ye Liangchen took a deep breath. "Keep in touch when you’re at school, okay?"
"I will." Gao Quan’s chubby face betrayed a flicker of reluctance, though he fought to hide it.
Since the class reunion, his life had changed drastically.
He had experienced things he never imagined—all because of Ye Liangchen, the person he respected most.
Honestly, he hadn’t been able to accept it at first. It felt like the sky had collapsed.
How could Chen do something like that to him?
But after Ye Liangchen’s tearful pleas and promises, he had eventually forgiven him.
"I’m leaving." With that, he turned to go.
"Do you hate me?" Ye Liangchen stubbed out his freshly lit cigarette, his voice hoarse.
Gao Quan was his closest friend.
Making one mistake with him had already filled him with guilt.
Yet by some twist of fate, he had wronged him again—this time while Gao Quan was fully conscious.
Afterward, sober and regretful, he hadn’t known how to face him.
Deep down, he didn’t want any rift between them.
There was no one else in this world who would take a knife for a brother like Gao Quan had.
"I do."
At this answer, Ye Liangchen closed his eyes briefly.
"But what can I do? You’ve already taken my body. What choice do I have?"
Ye Liangchen’s eyes brightened slightly. "I’ll take responsibility."
He stepped forward, placing a hand on Gao Quan’s shoulder. "Quan, can you still trust me?"
"How am I supposed to?"
Ye Liangchen looked up at the sky. "Then let time prove it."
As Gao Quan’s figure disappeared into the station, Ye Liangchen lit another cigarette.
"Long Aotian, the humiliation you’ve caused me—I’ll repay it a hundredfold."
Just then, his phone rang.
Ye Liangchen answered. "Are you back in the capital yet?"
"My train’s tomorrow."
Listening to Xue Shaohua’s concerned questions, Ye Liangchen sighed bitterly.
"You have no idea how much what happened has torn me apart."
"We’ll talk later. I’ll tell you everything once I’m in the capital."
......
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u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
