"I do have connections for collaboration between the enterprise and the research team, but it’ll take some time to arrange. I can reach out to your girlfriend and Professor Luo in advance to ease the workload… Professor Luo is indeed quite demanding with his students."
"True, assigning tasks last minute in the middle of the night is harsh."
"Just leave it to me to handle. You focus on your own work."
Xia Lin spoke slowly, her words clear and deliberate, carrying a soothing, storytelling quality.
She was so reliable.
Su Bai took the cue and said gratefully, "That’s a huge help. How can I thank you, sis?"
"Cooperate with me on one thing."
"What is it?"
"Here’s what I’m thinking—that aunt from your hometown, the one who acted as your guardian, probably doesn’t know about your recent financial situation, right?"
"You even know about that…"
"As a counselor, it’s my responsibility to understand students’ basic family circumstances."
This wasn’t exactly a standard counselor’s duty, though. It was more like Xia Lin’s special way—a wealthy, elegant older sister’s method—of winning over a handsome younger guy.
Su Bai felt an unspoken understanding. Indeed, he’d been wondering how to explain his current situation to Aunt Jiang.
His original plan was to visit his hometown during the National Day holiday, make up an excuse, and then—
Send Aunt Jiang some money!
Maybe a few hundred thousand to start, not too much to scare her.
Enough to improve her daily life—at least let her afford fresh produce, fruits, and cosmetics without worry.
You’ve got to be grateful, after all.
But convincing Aunt Jiang that his money came from legitimate sources was tricky.
Since Xia Lin had brought it up, she must have a plan.
"What’s your suggestion, sis?" Su Bai asked earnestly.
"If you trust me, I can call Aunt Jiang as your counselor and casually mention that I’ve been guiding you in investments. You know, like those bosses who recruit young geniuses for quantitative trading—just say you’re a trader."
"Sounds good."
For a college student to earn a large sum quickly, there weren’t many believable explanations.
But with a counselor backing him up, things would go much smoother.
Xia Lin didn’t fully grasp Su Bai’s ties to his "overseas family" (her personal speculation) or the specifics of his relationship with Aunt Jiang.
She just sensed that Su Bai needed her help.
"You’re really thoughtful, sis."
"Took you long enough to notice. Tch. From now on, you can strut around campus—you’ve got someone watching your back everywhere."
Of course, her comment about "strutting around" was more about offering him small conveniences.
Xia Lin also knew Su Bai was independent and quiet by nature, not the type to stir up trouble.
They reached a silent agreement.
Yet Su Bai felt a faint twinge of guilt.
Xia Lin had framed it as a request, but in reality, she was helping him yet again.
Still, neither seemed in a hurry to cross any lines.
They simply savored the warmth between them.
"Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me…"
Su Bai mumbled drowsily.
Before he knew it, he’d dozed off.
Resting his head on the beautiful older sister’s lap, lulled by her gentle strokes through his hair, it was all too easy to fall asleep.
Readers who are curious about this—feel free to try it sometime!
Eventually, Su Bai’s breathing grew deep and steady.
Xia Lin confirmed he was truly asleep.
…
[Ding! Detected S-tier goddess Xia Lin’s affection has surpassed 80. Binding consumption rebate system.]
Su Bai was roused by the system notification.
Not that the system was particularly loud—it was just that Su Bai was a light sleeper, easily awakened by the slightest sound.
His eyelids felt heavy, so he kept them shut, feigning sleep.
Xia Lin’s scalp massage was pure bliss, and Su Bai leaned into it, playing dead a little longer.
…
A few minutes later.
Su Bai slowly opened his eyes and yawned.
"Ah… Xia Lin, how long was I out?"
"Not long. Twenty minutes? Half an hour at most. Don’t worry, it didn’t delay anything."
Xia Lin’s voice was as gentle as ever, though there was a hint of flustered evasion.
…
"Honestly, Xia Lin, you’ve fulfilled a wish of mine."
"What wish?"
"Having an older, gentle woman I can act spoiled around… My mom passed away early, and Aunt Jiang—well, we’re both the no-nonsense type. It never felt natural. But with you, it’s different. You make me feel at ease."
Su Bai’s candid words caught Xia Lin off guard.
Strangely, it moved her.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] [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!"
