Kong Huaijin was not inexperienced in love—she had been in two relationships before.
But for her, those were more about suitability than genuine affection.
Arranged by her family, she tried getting to know them. They weren’t bad—good family backgrounds, capable, and modest—that summed up her first two partners.
Yet, her heart remained utterly unmoved. In the end, they parted ways, and the relationships were short-lived.
Back then, she thought love was just this dull.
Dining at high-end restaurants, chatting about their companies’ developments and work frustrations.
After meals, strolling through malls, exchanging expensive gifts, then going their separate ways.
Meeting for coffee when they had time, or just calling and texting when they didn’t.
She felt no different from an NPC in a game, mechanically completing tasks.
If even dating felt unbearable, marriage was out of the question.
But today, being with Zhou Yi—without romantic flowers or lavish gifts—she realized for the first time that this was what love should feel like.
No need for dazzling jewelry or diamonds, no need for upscale restaurants or venues, no additional conditions. In a crowded little trinket shop, she felt the first stirrings of wanting to fall in love.
Gazing at the boy a few years her junior, she suddenly asked, “Ah Yi, what do you think of me?”
Zhou Yi looked puzzled. She lowered her eyes and smiled. “Never mind. Let’s go outside—it’s too crowded in here, I’m feeling hot.”
Once they left the shop, the number of tourists had dwindled. Zhou Yi took her to an ice cream stand.
“What flavor do you want, sis?”
“What’s your usual favorite, Ah Yi?”
“Original... or vanilla.”
“Then let’s get one of each.”
Zhou Yi bought one original and one vanilla.
They sat on a bench under a tree, resting. Across from them was a small lake, and the breeze drifting over the water was wonderfully soothing.
The moment she sat down, Kong Huaijin leaned back and sighed. “No wonder so many couples come here. It really is perfect for dating.”
“Yeah, they say it’s a must-visit spot for couples in Huaihai.”
“So... have you ever brought a girl here before?”
“No. This is my first time coming to an amusement park with a girl.”
Kong Huaijin’s smile deepened.
Zhou Yi handed her one of the ice creams. “Eat it quick, or it’ll melt.”
Kong Huaijin took the vanilla one.
As she ate, she studied Zhou Yi, her gaze so intense he couldn’t ignore it. Feigning shyness, he asked, “Is there something on my face? Why are you staring at me, sis?”
Kong Huaijin arched a brow. “What, can’t I enjoy the view?”
Zhou Yi coughed as if her words had caught him off guard.
Kong Huaijin clicked her tongue. “So easy to tease, just like Xiao He at home.”
“Speaking of Xiao He, how’s he been lately?”
“Thanks to you, much better. He can run, jump, and even work out like a normal person now.”
“That’s good.”
“Do you know what he said in the car after we had dinner together last time?”
“Did he mention me?”
“He said he wants you to be his brother-in-law. Xiao He really likes you.”
Kong Huaijin was testing Zhou Yi’s reaction.
She was the type to act decisively—whatever she thought of, she did; whatever she wanted, she pursued immediately.
Zhou Yi didn’t seem to take her words seriously. He just smiled and said,
“Maybe it’s because I helped him. He’s probably just grateful. I wouldn’t dare hope for something like that.”
“Why not? You’re outstanding, with a limitless future. My dad likes you too. So... anything’s possible.”
Kong Huaijin’s blatant hint left Zhou Yi no room to play dumb.
He stiffened slightly, avoiding her gaze. “Don’t joke with me, sis. Once I take something seriously, I’m stubborn to a fault.”
077: “Serious, huh. Tch.”
Kong Huaijin’s expression turned earnest. “I’m not joking, Ah Yi. If you’re with me, the Kong family can offer you immense support. Isn’t that better than struggling on your own? I know you’re not the type to rely on a woman, but when a better option is right in front of you, why pass it up?”
Zhou Yi frowned and was about to speak when Kong Huaijin leaned in and kissed him.
The sweetness of vanilla ice cream lingered between them. Zhou Yi’s eyes widened slightly as Kong Huaijin’s lips parted his, her tongue teasing past his lips...
This was her first time doing something like this, and her heart raced wildly, her palms damp with nervous sweat.
Zhou Yi didn’t push her away. Instead, he played the part of the inexperienced boy, letting her kiss him.
She pulled back slightly, pouting. “You didn’t even respond.”
Still catching her breath, her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Zhou Yi: “System, give me a blushing buff, quick.”
Innocence could be faked, but blushing couldn’t.
Zhou Yi spent attribute points in the system shop to equip a blushing buff, reddening his face and ears.
Instantly, his bashful persona became far more convincing.
Seeing his uncontrollable flush, Kong Huaijin’s eyes curved with amusement. “Haven’t been this close to a girl before? Your face and ears are burning.”
Zhou Yi gripped the edge of the bench, his gaze darting everywhere but at her. “...Yeah.”
077: “Tch.”
Kong Huaijin found him even more endearing now.
The cool, composed boy who had calmly rejected her this morning was now blushing furiously in front of her. The contrast thrilled her beyond words.
She licked her ice cream and scooted closer.
“Is the vanilla better than your original flavor?”
She was referring to their kiss. Zhou Yi held out his untouched ice cream. “I haven’t tried it yet. You can have this one too.”
She poked his forehead. “You’re so clueless. Is this how I’m supposed to taste it?”
Zhou Yi suddenly found teasing her fun. He blinked innocently. “Then how do you want to taste it?”
Kong Huaijin leaned in until their faces were closer than socially acceptable. Zhou Yi could count every one of her long, curled lashes.
“The same way I let you taste it earlier.”
“That’s not... appropriate, sis...”
Kong Huaijin chuckled. She took a bite of Zhou Yi’s ice cream, then kissed him again, her arms wrapping around him.
The ice cream fell onto their clothes, unnoticed.
Her soft lips, warm breath, and intoxicating fragrance made Zhou Yi’s thoughts wander. When he responded faintly, she pressed herself fully against him.
A strange heat pooled inside her, something unfamiliar stirring.
She let out a soft moan, her gaze smoldering.
A hollow ache spread through her.
So this is what a kiss feels like—utterly intoxicating, impossible to resist.
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?"
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...
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
] [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!"
