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."
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.
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!"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
