Leaving was a decision Long Aotian had carefully considered.
The illnesses plaguing his body and mind had gradually eroded the happiness that once belonged to him.
He needed to leave for a while—to sever these afflictions.
This temporary departure was for self-preservation. He didn’t want to die yet. The promise he made to that little girl remained unfulfilled, and there was still happiness of his own he hadn’t had the chance to savor.
When he returned, he would be whole again.
After packing his things, he kissed the little girl’s forehead one last time, reluctant to let go.
He then went to Li Qingxue’s room. Qingxue was a restless sleeper, always clinging to something.
He adjusted the air conditioner to a warmer setting and pulled the blanket over her stomach.
Gently, he brushed the strands of hair scattered across her face from sleep.
"Be happy," he murmured. "Right now, I can’t share in your joy. Every time I see you trying so hard to make me smile, it twists my heart."
"I know you want me to be happy. Even though you seem carefree, your heart is surprisingly delicate. Take care of yourself."
"You’re the one I worry about most… because you’re the most willful."
Silently, he stepped out of the room and sat on the living room sofa.
After a moment, he rose and left.
His departure was soundless.
He walked, pausing now and then, without a destination—just wanting to lose himself in the crowd...
...
That night, heart-wrenching sobs echoed through the courtyard house.
The cries were too painful, too helpless, too agonizing...
No one knew what had happened in that grand, seemingly perfect courtyard that evening.
Several days later, the gate of the courtyard opened.
Two young women stepped out.
The neighbors recognized them, yet there was an inexplicable strangeness about them now.
The gentle-natured girl seemed to have matured overnight. Her aura had completely transformed, carrying an indescribable strength.
The girl who was always smiling—her delicate face no longer held any trace of joy. Her cold eyes held a faint detachment.
At the recording of Happy Girl, a competition stage.
A girl with an icy elegance, her voice uniquely captivating, performed an original song in the finals.
Was it a happy song? Her smile was breathtaking, but as she sang, tears fell—like a discarded doll, evoking an ache in the chest.
The lyrics, laden with emotion, moved the audience and judges alike to tears.
That day, the champion was crowned—a newcomer named Lin Wanning.
She smiled. She looked happy. And yet, not quite.
...
Three years passed.
"Sister, the fruits are ripe." Her smile was radiant, her voice melodious. She had released several albums, rising like a dark horse with her distinct style.
"Sister’s busy. I’ll pick some and wash them for later." Her delicate face was exquisitely cold. Even with the faint smile in her eyes, they remained distant.
The weather was damp today, a cool breeze tousling her soft hair. Her mesmerizing eyes flickered over the fruits on the tree, momentarily lost in thought...
Her lips curved slightly, a mix of charm and wildness in her poise. "Be careful. Want hot pot later? I’ll allow a little drinking today."
Between two fruit trees, a table was set—hot pot ingredients, meats, condiments. Four sets of bowls and chopsticks.
"A toast to our three years. A toast to our graduation."
A glass of chilled beer, then another.
They were no longer the lightweight drinkers he used to tease.
"Now we’ll have more time to search. Where is he hiding? Will he blame us for taking so long to find him?"
"We’ll find him. I’ll beat him senseless when we do. That big jerk. Doesn’t he miss us at all?"
She picked up a fruit gracefully, her fingers slender and pale. A soft smile played on her lips, her eyes warm for once—a rare tranquility, as if the world slowed just for her.
Her eyes, over these three years, had grown deeper. Unrecognizably so.
Three years ago, they had tasted despair. Since then, each of them had changed drastically.
They never imagined that the person who had always been by their side was drowning in such pain and hopelessness.
And they hadn’t noticed a thing.
The doctor’s words still haunted them.
His condition was severe. His emotions were fading, his spirit withering.
He had clung to life by sheer will—because there were people he couldn’t bear to leave. He fought desperately to stay alive.
He told me he was exhausted. So very tired.
His will had shattered, and it was hard to piece it back together...
But the three of them refused to believe he would truly abandon them.
They would always trust him. So they never stopped searching. They would find him.
And he would come back.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang. In that instant, all three froze.
They rushed to the gate in uncharacteristic disarray.
The door swung open.
With a flick of his bangs, he presented three bouquets.
Three years. It had been three years since they last saw Long Aotian.
Ye Liangchen knew his chance had come.
He had matured over these years, growing more confident in himself.
Facing the three women—now even more alluring and beautiful—Ye Liangchen admitted his long-dormant heart stirred.
"Yuying, Qingxue, Wanning... I’m here."
The response was the door slamming shut, followed by a cold voice from the intercom:
"Your parents sold their house for you. If you have money for flowers, spend it on them instead."
"If we catch you on camera again, we’re calling the police."
Li Qingxue’s tone left no room for argument.
Ye Liangchen clenched his fists.
It all started three years ago—with that 100,000 yuan.
He had dreamed of starting a business.
If Hu Yuying and the others could build something in college, why couldn’t he?
With his rebirth advantage, success should’ve been effortless.
Hu Yuying’s achievements were thanks to his inspiration, he told himself. So he pushed forward—only to fail at every turn. In the end, his family home was sold.
Now, desperate, he came as their "savior," hoping to squeeze some money from them. Otherwise, he couldn’t face his family.
"Fine. You want to humiliate me? Don’t blame me for sabotaging your ventures. Remember—I used to know you well."
A vengeful glint flashed in his eyes. If he could take down Long Aotian, he could take them down too.
"Just you wait!"
......
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."
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
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.
