Another night of wild indulgence.
Early the next morning, Zhou Yi returned to the hotel from Claire’s place.
At this hour, Xie Tingwan and the others hadn’t gotten up yet.
The first thing Zhou Yi did upon returning was take a shower, as he still had a banquet to attend with Jones later that morning.
Having barely slept all night, Zhou Yi exchanged for a bottle of "Revitalizing Elixir" in the system shop to ensure he was in perfect condition for the event. After using it, he immediately looked refreshed and full of energy.
Standing in front of the mirror, he marveled, "Having a system is amazing. If it weren’t for the fact that Revitalizing Elixir costs attribute points, I’d use it every day."
077: "No worries, Host. Use it however you like. If you run out of attribute points later, you can take out a loan—we’ve recently introduced a lending service."
Zhou Yi: "That sounds too good to be true. Is there interest?"
077: "Of course. If you borrow 10 attribute points, you’ll have to repay 100."
Zhou Yi: "What a scam... I’m not touching high-interest loans. Don’t even think about it."
077 continued enticing him: "Or you could exchange with red coins. One red coin can get you a lot of Revitalizing Elixir."
Red coins were the currency earned from the affection points of the three women in his revenge mission—one affection point equaled a hundred red coins.
Zhou Yi wasn’t foolish. These were the rewards from his main mission in this world, far more valuable than ordinary attribute points.
He firmly rejected the system’s temptation and lay down to rest for a while.
At 7:30 AM, Xie Tingwan knocked on his door.
Seeing Zhou Yi in his room, she inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.
"Yi, do you have plans today? The teacher suggested we all go out together, or we can split up. What do you think?"
Xie Tingwan was dressed especially beautifully today, with light makeup applied—clearly hoping to spend the day with Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi replied apologetically, "Sorry, Wanwan, I can’t join you. I have a banquet to attend today."
Though disappointed, Xie Tingwan didn’t show it. She smiled gently and said, "That’s alright. It’s still early, right? Want to grab breakfast downstairs first? Everyone’s there."
"Sure, let’s go."
Zhou Yi didn’t refuse. He accompanied Xie Tingwan to the hotel restaurant.
As soon as Zhou Yi entered, the group greeted him enthusiastically. Once he sat down with his food, they began praising his piano performance from the previous night.
"Bro Yi, you’re seriously incredible! How can someone be so handsome, smart, and artistically gifted all at once?"
"It’s honestly unfair. I’d kill for just one of those traits."
"I bet your name’s gonna be all over the trending searches again today."
"Can already imagine the internet’s reaction—total shock, lol."
"I can’t believe I’m eating breakfast with a legend like this. My friends would be so jealous!"
Listening to their praises, Xie Tingwan felt the distance between her and Zhou Yi grow even wider. Yet, her admiration for him deepened.
Just then, Zhou Yi pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to one of the girls.
With a soft smile, he said, "Here’s the autograph from Master Albedo you wanted."
[Xie Tingwan’s affection points +2]
Even Xie Tingwan was stunned, let alone the girl Zhou Yi was looking at.
Her lips parted slightly as she stared at his face, his gentle gaze and voice making her heart race uncontrollably. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the paper.
The girl beside her nudged her. "What are you spacing out for? Take it!"
"Oh—oh! Th-thank you, Zhou Yi..."
Her face flushed crimson as she accepted the autograph. She never expected him to remember her offhand request. How could she possibly deserve this?
When Zhou Yi excused himself to the restroom, the table erupted in whispers.
"What kind of god-tier man is this?! Lanlan just mentioned it casually—who knew he’d actually remember?"
"If it were me, I’d die happy. Forget the autograph—the fact that he went out of his way to get it is what’s unforgettable!"
"He’s so gentle. I never thought he’d do this for me. Did I look like an idiot just now? My mind went blank—I couldn’t even speak properly. Ugh, I’m so useless!"
The girl buried her burning face in her hands, flustered.
Xie Tingwan chuckled reassuringly. "He wouldn’t think that. Zhou Yi isn’t like that. He probably just found you cute."
At that moment, all the girls shared the same thought:
If he treats ordinary people around him this well, how wonderful would it be to be loved by him?
When Zhou Yi returned, the atmosphere at the table had shifted. The girls’ eyes kept drifting toward him.
After breakfast, they asked about his plans for the day, hinting at an invitation to hang out together. Zhou Yi politely declined.
Once Jones called, he stood and explained, "Sorry, I already have prior arrangements. I can’t cancel last minute. Hope you all have fun."
"Ah, of course! No problem..."
After he left, curiosity got the better of them.
"Who could’ve invited him? We’re in a foreign country!"
"Honestly, Zhou Yi acts like he grew up abroad. How else would he have so many connections here?"
"Right? His English is practically native-level."
"And he got into Albedo’s private banquet—that’s not something just anyone can attend."
"Maybe his parents live overseas?"
"No idea. It’s all so mysterious."
Driven by curiosity—including Xie Tingwan—they followed Zhou Yi out of the hotel to see who his mysterious companion was.
A luxury car was parked at the entrance. Lina stepped out first, assisting Jones as she exited.
The woman was the picture of nobility and grace, dressed in an exquisite gown, her presence so striking it drew gasps from onlookers.
"She’s gorgeous... like a princess..."
"Now I get why Yi didn’t want to hang out with us. A date with a stunning beauty like that is a dream."
"She’s as beautiful as Senior Xie."
"That car behind her—I’ve only seen it in movies..."
"Is she some kind of royalty? What’s her relationship with Yi? I’m dying to know."
Xie Tingwan stared at the breathtaking woman, a sense of crisis she’d never felt before creeping in.
A beautiful rival was always intimidating—especially one who possessed not just looks, but wealth, intelligence, and an extraordinary background. For any man, that would be an unbeatable combination.
] [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!"
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
