During dinner, a hint of tension arose between Qiao Yu and Qiao Xi, something both men at the table noticed.
Qiao Zhengguo remained silent, while Zhou Yi openly sided with Qiao Xi, making the girl so happy she even went for a second helping.
After the meal, Zhou Yi didn’t linger at the Qiao residence.
Under Qiao Xi’s reluctant gaze, he slipped away into the night.
Qiao Xi watched his retreating figure with sparkling eyes—this was the first time she’d ever felt the warmth of being favored.
In every matter involving Qiao Yu, she had always been the overlooked one.
Today, Zhou Yi gave her a taste of something she’d never experienced before.
Though, in a way, it was only natural.
From Zhou Yi’s perspective, standing by Qiao Xi’s side was the obvious choice.
She really was easy to please, and her fondness for Zhou Yi made her see everything in the best possible light.
Once Zhou Yi was gone, Qiao Yu leaned against the doorway and said, "Xi, could you share Zhou Yi’s WeChat with me?"
Qiao Xi pressed her lips together, visibly reluctant, and shook her head. "Brother Yi said not to give his contact to just anyone."
Qiao Yu frowned. "Am I just anyone? I’m your sister."
Qiao Xi lowered her voice. "You’re my sister, but that doesn’t make you anything to Brother Yi..."
Was Qiao Yu really not "just anyone" to Zhou Yi?
Qiao Yu scoffed. "I never knew you could be so petty. The older you get, the smaller your heart becomes."
Qiao Xi suddenly lifted her head, her usual meekness replaced by a rare firmness.
"Sister, some things aren’t meant to be shared. He’s someone I like, and you know it, yet you still push. What kind of reaction did you expect from me?"
Qiao Yu was taken aback—this was the first time her timid little sister had ever stood her ground so fiercely.
The girl continued, "If you think I’m being petty, then fine. When it comes to Brother Yi, I am petty. I don’t want anyone taking him from me, especially not my own sister. That just makes it worse."
With that, Qiao Xi turned and headed upstairs without another glance.
Qiao Yu stood frozen for a moment before sighing and remarking to Qiao Zhengguo, "Dad, look at her—so bold with me now. She really has grown up..."
Her sister, who used to bow her head and wipe away tears, had finally found the courage to fight back.
Qiao Zhengguo shook his head. "This isn’t like arguing over a piece of clothing. At dinner, you saw how Zhou Yi treats her differently. Let it go. I’ll find someone else for you."
Qiao Yu stayed silent, resentment simmering in her chest. At the same time, she couldn’t help but see her sister in a new light.
Had Qiao Xi changed, or had she simply never truly understood her before?
Love worked in mysterious ways.
It could give someone vulnerabilities—or armor.
Qiao Xi might have been soft-spoken before, but when it came to Zhou Yi, she’d discovered a courage she never knew she had.
Upstairs, Qiao Xi sat in her room, staring blankly at the painting Zhou Yi had given her.
She couldn’t believe she’d actually stood up to Qiao Yu like that—it was so unlike her.
Thinking back to her jealous words and actions, she touched her flushed cheeks, embarrassed.
Had Brother Yi laughed at her?
Her mind wandered to her uncharacteristic behavior earlier.
She’d always been the peacemaker, believing harmony brought prosperity, so she yielded and endured without complaint. She rarely contradicted even Qiao Zhengguo.
No matter how Qiao Yu bullied her, she’d just cry for a few days and move on, never holding grudges.
But when it came to Qiao Yu’s behavior around Zhou Yi, she’d felt real anger—enough to snap back multiple times.
Lying on her bed, she gazed at the ceiling and murmured, "Am I turning into a jealous little thing...?"
Then she buried her face in her pillow, Zhou Yi’s gentle smile filling her thoughts.
With a glow in her eyes, she pulled out her phone and messaged him.
[Qiao Xi: Brother Yi, my sister just asked for your WeChat. I said no.]
[Zhou Yi: That’s fine. Whatever you say goes.]
Qiao Xi couldn’t help but grin—a silly, adorable smile brimming with youthful innocence.
Zhou Yi gave her the illusion of being utterly cherished, as if she held a special place in his heart.
But of course, she mattered more to him than Qiao Yu did.
If she didn’t want him to add Qiao Yu, he wouldn’t care. He’d met plenty of beauties; Qiao Yu was nothing extraordinary to him.
Qiao Xi’s affection points rose by 2—just a little more, and they’d max out. Zhou Yi guessed they’d hit the mark by the time he left Huaihai.
When he arrived home, an unexpected visitor was waiting.
Little Jia.
She was crouched at his doorstep, shivering in thin clothes, arms wrapped around herself as she muttered complaints.
"What kind of cursed weather is this?"
"Why isn’t he back yet? Seriously..."
"I came all this way—he wouldn’t just ignore me, right?"
"Probably not. He’s not that heartless. Yeah, just wait a bit longer."
"Stupid Zhou Yi, not answering my calls. So annoying."
"Brother Zhou... when are you coming home...?"
She sniffled, her nose red from the cold, and buried her face in her arms—until she heard a resigned sigh.
Her head shot up, and the moment she saw Zhou Yi’s amused smile, she sprang up and threw herself at him.
"You took forever! I’ve been waiting ages!"
Though her words were accusatory, her grip was tight, and her face lit up with unrestrained joy.
Zhou Yi patted her back. "I’m here now. You never told me you were coming."
Little Jia pouted up at him, still clinging. "Excuse me? I called you dozens of times! You ignored every one. How was I supposed to tell you?"
Zhou Yi arched a brow. "You were the one demanding I come find you the second I got back. I’ve been swamped—look at me, just now getting home. Could’ve cut me some slack."
He rubbed his temples, feigning exhaustion, and Little Jia’s irritation melted into guilt.
Her voice softened. "Sorry... I just missed you too much. You’ve been gone for days, and I’ve been freezing my butt off with cold showers. I’m turning into an icicle!"
Zhou Yi chuckled. "You actually took cold showers every day? I told you to wait for me. Why the rush?"
Little Jia huffed. "Was I not allowed to rush?"
Zhou Yi rubbed his forehead with a helpless laugh. "Alright, alright... Little Jia, you’re really something."
Little Jia stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Hurry up and open the door."
As soon as Zhou Yi unlocked the door and stepped inside, before he could even kick off his shoes, Little Jia pinned him against the door, her lips crashing into his while her hands tugged impatiently at his clothes.
"Hey, wait—hold on, let’s at least get inside first."
"You’re gonna rip my clothes at this rate. How are you this strong?"
"Let’s go to the bedroom. It’s cold here. Be good, let’s move somewhere else."
"Seriously, I don’t want you catching a chill. I’d feel awful if you got sick."
"Come on, my dear, slow down a little—"
"Wait, just wait—mmph..."
......
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?
esick Sect? Well, at least it's considered a respectable orthodox sect. Wait a minute— What kind of vibe are you all giving off? Shouldn’t this be a love-struck, romance-obsessed sect? Why does everyone here sound more like demonic cultivators? "Master, today he’s getting married. This disciple wishes to descend the mountain and crash the wedding, then toy with him to death right in front of his wife..." "Elder, I only got into your sect through connections, so why won’t you teach me anything?" "Because I also became an elder through connections." Thankfully, Su Ji was just an outer sect labor disciple. Surely, nothing too crazy would— "Junior Brother, you’ve broken through to Qi Refining. Once you sever your useless spiritual root, you can officially become an outer sect disciple." "The Great Dao is merciless. Don’t let a worthless spiritual root waste your essence and spirit, hindering your cultivation." Is this really the Lovesick Sect? ... Three years later, Su Ji sat in the seat of the Lovesick Sect’s sect master, sighing with emotion. His rise to this position all started when his junior sister adamantly insisted on preserving his "spiritual root." "Mmm... Senior Brother, what’s our relationship now?" "Stop talking. Keep going." "By the way, that newly promoted top-tier sect—didn’t they come to buy our Love Beans?" "One top-grade spirit stone per Love Bean—is that really so expensive?" "I suspect they’ve eaten too many Love Beans." "Now they’re lovesick." Well, this really is the Lovesick Sect after all.
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]
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
