Many men, once they become successful, forget everything from their past, eager to sever ties with their former selves, as if being associated with people and things from before no longer matches who they are now.
But Zhou Yi was never such a person. He treated You Man and Old Hai just as he always had, never forgetting the kindness You Man had shown him. He was still a decent man.
Old Hai hoped that You Man and Zhou Yi could have a better and better future.
"I'm getting old. I won't be able to work as a chef for many more years. I wonder if I'll live long enough to toast at your wedding banquet."
You Man's face flushed instantly. "Zhou Yi and I aren't even boyfriend and girlfriend. You really shouldn't say such things."
Old Hai chuckled. "You silly girl, I'm not blind. Alright, I won't tease you anymore. As long as he treats you well, that's what matters. The future will take care of itself. Cherish the person before you."
You Man thought the same way. She didn't dare to hope for the future, so she focused on cherishing the present, treasuring the days they could still be together.
After finishing the cooking, You Man thought that having been in the kitchen for so long, she probably smelled of food. She first went to a hair salon to wash and style her hair.
Then she went to a makeup shop for a makeover. She specifically asked the assistant for a fresh, translucent look—a very light makeup that wouldn't appear exaggerated, instead making her look gentle and elegantly beautiful.
Seeing that it was almost noon and time was running short, You Man had to quickly buy a white dress with a jasmine flower pinned on it from a random shop by the roadside.
She wanted to make a good impression on Little Jia, to at least appear dignified.
She knew her own features were too charming and striking, and she was afraid of giving Little Jia a bad impression.
In the future, if she and Zhou Yi went to City A, she might also have to visit his adoptive parents. Since Little Jia was their niece, that's why she attached so much importance to this meeting.
After returning to the restaurant, You Man simply waited for Zhou Yi and the others to arrive.
Approaching 12 noon, Zhou Yi and Little Jia finally arrived.
You Man had specially reserved an upstairs private room for them.
The restaurant business was quite good. As soon as Zhou Yi entered, he noticed the ground floor was almost full of customers.
Seeing him, You Man's eyes lit up, and she quickly got up and came around from behind the front counter.
Little Jia followed closely behind.
The moment she saw Little Jia, You Man's pupils contracted slightly.
What a beautiful young girl...
Especially that unmistakable air of noble elegance about her. Having run a restaurant, You Man had seen many wealthy people, but Little Jia's overall demeanor clearly indicated she wasn't from an ordinary family.
You Man began to feel somewhat awkward, afraid she might embarrass Zhou Yi.
She smoothed her hair and then stepped forward to greet Little Jia.
"You must be Little Jia. You're so beautiful, like a star."
Seeing You Man, Little Jia was also stunned for a moment.
She truly hadn't expected a woman of thirty to be so stunningly beautiful.
Even though Little Jia was accustomed to seeing beauties in City A, she was still taken aback by You Man's appearance.
Little Jia and You Man possessed two completely different types of charm.
What amazed Little Jia wasn't just You Man's exquisite facial features, but more the indescribable charm she exuded—in other words, she was very womanly.
You Man's voice was also gentle, giving a feeling of a spring breeze upon hearing her speak. Even someone as willful as Little Jia couldn't bring herself to be loud with such a woman.
When You Man spoke with a gentle, soft smile, Little Jia unconsciously softened her own voice as well.
Little Jia's eyes curved into smiles, with two shallow dimples appearing at the corners of her lips.
"Hello, sister! You're even more beautiful than a star!"
When Little Jia wanted to please someone, she could be very sweet-tongued.
In You Man's eyes, Little Jia was no different from an eighteen-year-old girl. Seeing Little Jia's youthful face, she instinctively thought Little Jia was very young, which dispelled some of her doubts. Perhaps it was just a child being clingy.
"Let's go inside to talk. The dishes are all served."
You Man smiled and took Little Jia's arm, leading her upstairs.
After the three of them were seated in the private room, Little Jia took out the gift she had prepared and placed it before You Man.
"Sister, for our first meeting, this is a little token of my regard."
You Man politely declined, but Little Jia insisted on giving it. They went back and forth, leaving Zhou Yi as an onlooker.
Seeing she really couldn't refuse, You Man finally accepted Little Jia's gift.
She smiled somewhat apologetically. "It was thoughtless of me. I should have prepared a gift for you too."
Seeing You Man so gentle and amiable, and considering her relationship with Zhou Yi, Little Jia felt a fondness for her.
"This meal today is the gift! It's not too late for you to treat me to a meal next time you come to City A."
"Alright, alright, definitely."
"Sister, open it and see if you like it. Try it on."
You Man opened it and was surprised to find a gold bracelet inside. Suppressing her complex feelings of astonishment, she smiled and thanked Little Jia.
Such an expensive gift... How could she repay it with just one meal? It seemed she would have to pick out something equally valuable for Little Jia later.
The two chatted happily, neither sensing anything amiss.
Zhou Yi watched them with great interest.
When You Man went out to handle some matters, Little Jia said to Zhou Yi with a grin, "You were right. Sister Man is indeed very easy to get along with. I quite like her."
Zhou Yi tossed a peanut into his mouth. "See? I told you. Maybe you two could even become friends."
Little Jia sighed. "Only people with good temperaments can be friends with someone like me. Sister Man is really nice."
Then she teased Zhou Yi: "Sister Man isn't like you. She speaks so pleasantly. If I were a man, I'd fall for her too."
Zhou Yi suddenly laughed. Little Jia blinked. "What are you laughing at? Am I wrong?"
Zhou Yi waved his hand. "You're right. It's just a pity Sister Man doesn't want to be in a relationship right now."
Little Jia sighed. "What a shame. Otherwise, I could have asked my aunt to introduce her to some high-quality matches, no problem."
Zhou Yi curved his lips. "Don't worry about other people's business. You're becoming more and more like your aunt."
Little Jia humphed. "If Sister Man weren't like family to you, I wouldn't bother."
Zhou Yi just smiled without replying and left the private room to look for You Man.
You Man had just finished dealing with the food delivery person downstairs when she ran into Zhou Yi coming down the stairs at the corner.
"Why did you come out? It's not good to leave Little Jia alone."
"I missed you."
You Man smiled gently. "But I'm right here in front of you."
"But we can't talk alone. Some things can only be said when we're alone together."
You Man guessed he was probably going to say something improper. She gave him a soft look and whispered, "There will be plenty of time to talk after Little Jia leaves."
"Zhou Yi, your adoptive parents in City A... are their family circumstances quite extraordinary?"
"Why do you suddenly ask that, Sister Man?"
"Seeing Little Jia, I guessed a little."
You Man felt worried inside. Someone as ordinary as her... it seemed even more impossible between her and Zhou Yi.
If his adoptive parents came from an extraordinary background, they would surely introduce him to more outstanding girls. When that time came... what should she do?
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?"
] 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.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
