Afterwards.
Chen Yusheng lay lazily on her side, her back resting against Su Bai's solid frame. His arm was tucked beneath her head, serving as a surprisingly comfortable pillow.
She had never imagined that the muscular arm of a tall, strong guy like Su Bai could feel so nice—not too hard or uncomfortable.
Muscles probably only reveal their true strength during heavy physical labor.
Chen Yusheng gazed at Su Bai's forearm and slender fingers, then instinctively reached to hold his hand, interlacing their fingers.
It was a blissful, secure feeling.
Then she noticed Su Bai’s free left hand holding a phone, angling it to snap a photo of their intertwined fingers. The background—a distinctly hotel-style pillow and rumpled sheets—hinted at something more intimate.
Chen Yusheng turned to look at Su Bai, puzzled. Neither of them was the type to document their lives through photos.
"This picture would make a great announcement post for my social media, don’t you think?"
"...You want to make it public?"
"That surprised look on your face makes it seem like I’m some irresponsible jerk," Su Bai said, amused.
"But you... well, I’m your kept woman, not your regular girlfriend," Chen Yusheng murmured, her eyes flickering.
"Exactly because you’re not a regular girlfriend that I want to announce it."
"Won’t that ruin your chances with other girls? Hmph."
Her tone was tinged with jealousy, a rare moment of playful pouting as she waited for his response, her heartbeat growing fervent.
She had assumed their arrangement would stay a private, secretive affair—that outwardly, they’d maintain their old dynamic as just friends.
Chen Yusheng had already accepted this. After all, Su Bai was incredibly wealthy, and he treated her well. Being sweet and affectionate in private was enough. She didn’t need the full girlfriend experience.
Or so she told herself. Deep down, she still felt a twinge of regret. As a freshman, she yearned for the kind of sweet, romantic relationship every girl dreams of, especially with someone who felt like a soulmate.
Yet here was Su Bai, actually proposing to go public.
Su Bai, however, was unapologetic. "Because I really like you. At least for now, I want you to be my girlfriend. I want everyone to know."
"As for other girls... well, you know I hate complications. If someone can’t accept that I have a girlfriend, I’m not interested in dealing with them anyway."
"I prefer keeping my relationships harmonious."
Hearing this, Chen Yusheng instantly understood his reasoning.
Of course—Su Bai prioritized his own peace of mind. He wasn’t the type of messy, traditional playboy who’d let his life spiral into chaos. To him, that was no better than begging.
If he was going to be a playboy, he’d do it with dignity.
"So... I’m your official girlfriend now?"
"Yep, you are!"
"Hmph."
Chen Yusheng giggled quietly to herself before murmuring, "Fine, I’ll reluctantly agree to go public."
"Oh, it’s reluctant? Then forget it. Staying low-key is fine too."
With that, Su Bai pretended to put his phone away.
Panicking, Chen Yusheng snatched it back, unlocking it with his finger. She sent the photo of their clasped hands to her own account, "Rain Pause," then nestled against Su Bai’s chest, happily tapping away at her phone.
After drafting the post, she quickly hit "share" on her social media, then copied the text and sent it to Su Bai.
"You post it too. The exact same thing."
"Alright, alright!"
Su Bai chuckled. He was the type who hated crafting social media posts, so her taking charge was a relief.
But when he read the caption, he nearly laughed out loud.
This was so quintessentially Chen Yusheng.
[LOL, so Su Bai acts all proper around you, huh?
Well, he’s a whole different person with me...
Extra energetic, if you know what I mean...
If you think you can handle it, go ahead and click the pic—
Psych! Not showing you anything!
Hehe~
Wanna be my forever plus-one?]
Paired with the photo of their hands against the disheveled hotel sheets, it was... something else.
Honestly?
Unhinged.
No normal girl would write something like this. Her family must’ve hired a chaos gremlin as her life coach.
But then again—
This was exactly why Su Bai adored her.
If she were like other girls, obsessing over societal expectations, power plays, and one-upmanship in relationships, she’d lose that unique charm.
Loving someone openly, proudly declaring, "I’m sleeping with this man from now on"—
That was pure Chen Yusheng.
Seemingly thrilled with her masterpiece, she even took Su Bai’s phone to post the same thing, only swapping the names.
But the moment the posts went live, Chen Yusheng froze.
Then she buried herself under the blankets, rolling around in bed.
"Ahhh! I’m gonna die of embarrassment!"
"Seriously?" Su Bai grinned. "You wrote that unhinged caption and now you’re shy?"
"W-well, yeah! Being chaotic is fun, but still..."
"I get it," Su Bai nodded sagely. "Your abstract ambitions have outpaced your cringe tolerance."
"Mhm!"
Chen Yusheng popped her head out from the covers, nodding eagerly at Su Bai with a look that screamed, "You totally get me!"
...
Their phones buzzed nonstop with likes and comments.
Neither bothered to check.
Or maybe they were too scared to.
Some people are like that—thriving on chaos but secretly terrified of the fallout, like kids who love setting off firecrackers in sewers but panic at the thought of getting caught.
Right now, their social circles were indeed like a sewer hit by a firecracker.
The explosion was instantaneous.
Dozens of reactions flooded their posts.
...
In a graduate dorm at Jiangcheng University,
Xia Lin lounged in an artsy wicker chair by the window, basking in the afternoon sun during her tea break.
She’d just woken from a nap. With nothing to do until her evening lab session, she was savoring the downtime.
Not all grad students were equally busy. Some slaved away in labs until 10 PM, living a 996 grind.
But Xia Lin? She’d chosen an easygoing, low-pressure advisor.
Not like she needed a high-powered career anyway.
Such was the life of a wealthy girl—as long as things were comfortable, ambition was optional.
Just as Xia Lin was about to pick up a book to indulge in some literary refinement, several classmates suddenly messaged her on WeChat, urging Director Xia to check Su Bai and Chen Yusheng’s social media posts immediately.
When Xia Lin opened the app, her lazy expression abruptly turned serious.
Then, a pleased smile curled at the corners of her lips.
“Well, well… this little one… actually succeeded so quickly.”
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
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?"
] [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!"
