To be honest, Su Bai found all the trendy "tests" that girls use on their boyfriends utterly repulsive.
What's with all the nonsense? If you like someone, just be together properly. If not, break up cleanly—why all the unnecessary drama?
So Su Bai had long decided that even after starting university, he wouldn’t engage in those formulaic relationships. The thought of playing mind games with a future girlfriend, endlessly bickering and scheming, was exhausting.
Luckily, he had his "System Bro," so he didn’t need to bother with scripted romance. The current "stats-overwhelming" dating model suited him just fine.
His ideal girlfriend? Someone obedient, sensible, and drama-free.
But clearly, Xue Tao’s stats and character design weren’t advanced enough to land him a non-troublesome girlfriend.
And of all people, he ended up with Liu Yuanyuan—a certified drama queen.
"Let me be fair here," Su Bai said after some thought. "Buying fake jade isn’t entirely Xue Tao’s fault. Even big-name influencers get scammed these days, let alone ordinary people."
"Pfft." Chu Mingzhe rolled his eyes. "Old Xue doesn’t think he’s ordinary."
"True… Wait, no, that’s not the point. Liu Yuanyuan claims to be a ‘refined girl,’ right? Shouldn’t she know more about jewelry? If she got duped, she should shoulder most of the blame."
Su Bai, the detective, was on the case.
Though his argument reeked of his usual sly, devil’s-advocate logic, Wang Haoran and Chu Mingzhe nodded in agreement.
Mainly because Liu Yuanyuan had gone too far. Like, seriously—no matter how annoying Xue Tao was, treating him like some war criminal was just overkill.
"Looks like Xue Tao’s Thailand trip isn’t going as planned. Tsk, what a setback!"
Chu Mingzhe clicked his tongue, fiddling with his suspiciously dog-like Kuromi plushie before suddenly radiating confidence.
"Not bad, ‘Shanghai Bro.’ Just stay safe," Su Bai reminded him again.
That night, Chu Mingzhe went out on a date with Leilei. Su Bai assumed he’d stay over, but he was back before 11 PM.
When Su Bai asked why, Chu Mingzhe just grinned like an idiot and said, "Good meals should be savored slowly. No rush."
No one knew what went down between him and "Landmine Girl" that evening…
As for Xue Tao, Su Bai and Wang Haoran, fueled by gossip, urged Chu Mingzhe to check in with his rival.
Chu Mingzhe sent Xue Tao several messages. At first, Xue Tao replied, saying he was too tired from arguing to bother comforting her and was heading to a bar—apparently, the nightlife there was wild.
But after midnight, he went radio silent.
"No way… Dude, you think something happened to Old Xue?" Wang Haoran wondered.
"Nah. That place can be sketchy, but Xue Tao’s not that dumb," Chu Mingzhe said, shaking his head.
Su Bai: "Are we sure about that?"
"…Let’s wait and see. Bai, you wake up early—message him in the morning. If he still doesn’t respond, maybe we should contact his family?"
Rival or not, Chu Mingzhe cared about his roommate’s safety. If Xue Tao stayed missing too long, they’d have to step in.
Su Bai agreed.
---
The next morning, Su Bai woke up at six sharp.
After last night’s discussion about locals, he’d gone to bed before 1 AM. For someone who usually survived on 3-4 hours of sleep, six was practically sleeping in.
"Let’s see what’s up."
He opened WeChat and—bam—Xue Tao had posted a Moments update 15 minutes ago:
[Xue ZhiTao: Morning workout! Can’t slack off even on vacation. Another energetic day 💪💪…]
WTF?!
Last night, Xue Tao was all about "experiencing exotic nightlife," and now he’s up before dawn exercising?
This guy never worked out in the morning back home. Now, in Thailand, he’s suddenly Mr. Discipline?
That doesn’t add up.
[Crispy White Goose: 🦢🤔]
[Crispy White Goose: Chu said you ghosted him last night. We thought you got kidnapped.]
[Xue ZhiTao: ..]
[Xue ZhiTao: As if 😒]
[Crispy White Goose: So… how were the bars?]
[Xue ZhiTao: Hah.]
[Xue ZhiTao: Bars? Overrated. I’m here with my girl—nothing beats quality time with your beloved. Ah, romance is priceless…]
[Crispy White Goose: 🦢🍷]
"Beloved"? Where? Who?
Su Bai found Xue Tao’s wording full of holes… but he got the gist.
Apparently, Xue Tao had made it back to the hotel and, through some mysterious means, patched things up with Liu Yuanyuan.
Good. Good.
Su Bai firmly believed chaotic couples should stay tightly bound—spare the world from their mess.
But one question lingered: How did Xue Tao jump from "storming off to a bar after a fight" to "cuddling sweetly with his girlfriend"?
The plot transition felt… missing a few scenes.
"Oh? What’s our little heartthrob pondering so deeply?"
Su Bai turned—Xia Lin.
He’d left the dorm and, as usual, wandered to the track near the male dorms.
Early mornings at elite universities were serene, almost picturesque. Perfect for jogging or strolling.
Especially when the scenery included a beauty like her.
Xia Lin’s workout attire was, as always, eye-catching.
With autumn cooling the mornings, she’d opted for a cropped jacket over a snug tank top, exposing a sliver of midriff. Classic gray yoga pants completed the look.
Su Bai noticed Xia Lin rarely wore flashy colors. Maybe because her toned figure spoke for itself—neutral tones kept things understated.
"Morning, Director Xia."
"Anything troubling you? You can confide in your big sis." She grinned, pinching his cheek. "Huh? Feels like you’ve gotten even handsomer?"
A 5-point charisma boost was noticeable.
His roommates had spotted it yesterday too, but since they weren’t into guys, they’d shrugged it off.
Xia Lin, however, seemed fascinated, her fingers lingering on his face.
"Your skin’s smoother too. What’s the secret? Does living with beauties really work wonders for a guy?"
"…Doubt it. Just hitting my stride—nothing special."
ither go to a cultivation world where a single sword strike can defeat ten thousand enemies. Or they travel back to historical dynasties to alter history and wield imperial power. At the very least, they'd go back a few decades to get rich using their future knowledge and build a harem. Who the hell would transmigrate here!
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
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?
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
