Zhou Yi didn’t reply to the message right away, choosing to leave her hanging for a while.
He wanted to see if Qiao Xi would send him a second message.
Since he had already left her with a high initial impression, he didn’t need to be too proactive.
Being too eager would just make him look like a simp. It was better to maintain some mystery.
Half an hour later, Qiao Xi sent another message: “Did you fall asleep? I forgot to mention our walk earlier.”
Only then did Zhou Yi pick up his phone: “I was exhausted and dozed off accidentally. Glad you made it home safely. Rest early, goodnight.”
It was clear Qiao Xi wanted to keep chatting, but Zhou Yi didn’t want to let the novelty wear off too quickly.
He needed to maintain a sense of distance—that was how ambiguity and tension were created.
What was the point if they talked about everything right from the start?
Only by keeping her on the hook and taking things slow would she gradually become infatuated with him.
Though Qiao Xi felt a pang of disappointment, she reassured herself: Zhou Yi must have been really tired today, and he wasn’t in the best mood either—he definitely needed proper rest.
Feeling both concerned and tender, she replied, “I don’t know what happened, but the storm will pass. Goodnight, Yi-ge.”
Qiao Xi lay on her soft bed, staring at her phone, waiting for a reply. But after a long time, there was still no response.
“Did he fall asleep…?”
Assuming Zhou Yi was asleep, she decided not to disturb him further.
Before bed, she absentmindedly checked her social feed—only to find that Zhou Yi had posted something new that evening.
“Meeting you was the best stroke of luck.”
A simple line, but Qiao Xi knew it referred to their encounter.
The girl curled up under her blankets, grinning, and gave his post a like.
Hearing the system notification that her affection points had increased, Zhou Yi smirked. He knew Qiao Xi would fall for this.
She was a sensitive, somewhat poetic girl—easily moved by subtle details.
Before sleeping, Zhou Yi checked the likes on his post and noticed one from his ex, Chu Han.
He raised an eyebrow. What was this about? Now that he seemed to have moved on, was she trying to reel him back in?
Zhou Yi scoffed.
If it were the original Zhou Yi, he’d have scrambled to send her an explanation. But he wasn’t that foolish—he ignored her outright.
An hour passed with no explanation, and Chu Han quickly reached out—though all she did was send a “nudge” on WeChat, a vague hint.
In Chu Han’s mind, this was already her lowering herself to initiate contact. Zhou Yi wouldn’t dare ignore her.
But no matter how long she waited, Zhou Yi didn’t reply. Chu Han grew impatient.
She didn’t want to lose this simp.
Sure, she’d landed a rich guy, but what if he got bored and cut her off? Guys like Zhou Yi, who were blindly devoted, weren’t easy to come by.
College expenses were no joke. Without Zhou Yi funding her, how could she afford all those cosmetics and new clothes?
She and Gao Wenhao hadn’t been together long—she couldn’t keep asking him for money and gifts.
Before, she’d acted cold to keep Zhou Yi from clinging to her and ruining her chances with the rich guy. But she never intended to cut ties completely—just string him along to keep the cash flowing.
Seeing Zhou Yi ignore her, Chu Han thought: Has he really moved on so fast? No way…
She had no idea Gao Wenhao had privately warned Zhou Yi.
When Zhou Yi still didn’t respond, Chu Han couldn’t hold back anymore and sent a message:
“Already got a new girlfriend? You move on pretty fast, huh? Bet you were seeing someone behind my back all along. I knew you were trash—typical player!”
A master of PUA tactics, Chu Han led with accusations. The old Zhou Yi would’ve panicked and rushed to explain himself. But this time, nothing.
Zhou Yi finally understood what it meant to be gaslit.
With a cold smirk, he typed back:
“What, you can chase rich guys, but I can’t land a wealthy beauty? Since we’re broken up, let’s go our separate ways. Don’t message me—I don’t want Xiao Xi getting the wrong idea.”
Xiao Xi getting the wrong idea?
Reading that, Chu Han nearly exploded.
Xiao Xi?
Yes, she was materialistic. Yes, she loved rich men. But seeing Zhou Yi with a wealthy beauty? That hurt worse than death.
How dare he!
Anyone would feel bitter seeing an ex upgrade to someone better.
Especially with Zhou Yi’s dismissive attitude—clearly, he was serious about this girl!
Her competitive spirit flared. Even if he was a simp, he should only simp for her!
“Who’s Xiao Xi? Are you just trying to mess with me? As if someone like you could land a wealthy beauty—look at yourself!”
But when she sent it, a red exclamation mark appeared.
What?
Zhou Yi had blocked her!
How dare he!?
Furious, she hurled her phone onto the bed. After years of worshipping me, he finds a replacement this fast?
Did he just toss me aside like trash?!
Chu Han was seething, with no outlet for her rage.
Zhou Yi used to be her emotional punching bag—now there was no one to soothe her.
Suddenly, she felt wronged. Why is he treating me like this…?
[Chu Han’s Affection Points +6.]
Zhou Yi smirked in disdain. Some things only became clear through contrast. Sooner or later, Chu Han would beg him to take her back.
At her core, this woman was just spoiled—the nicer you were, the less she valued you. But the moment he showed interest in someone else, she crumbled.
A woman’s jealousy was just as fierce as a man’s.
As a campus queen, how could she tolerate losing to another girl?
Zhou Yi was certain his words had struck a nerve.
After provoking Chu Han, Zhou Yi went to bed in high spirits.
Tomorrow, he’d give himself a makeover—ready to stun everyone at Huaihai University’s opening ceremony.
The next morning, Zhou Yi started with a haircut.
His fast-food job didn’t require morning shifts—he usually worked evenings when the place got busy.
Pushing open the salon door, he asked the barber to trim his overgrown bangs.
A few snips later, his vision cleared.
The shaggy fringe that had hidden his eyes was gone, revealing his sharp, handsome gaze.
After the system’s enhancements, Zhou Yi was undeniably a heartthrob.
His features outshone even those of celebrity idols.
Before he even left the salon, a girl asked for his WeChat.
Zhou Yi declined with a smile—he wasn’t the type to flirt with just anyone.
He had standards and didn’t want to waste time on ordinary girls.
Surprisingly, the rejection earned him affection points from her. A nice bonus.
Even if she wasn’t a high-value target, every little bit helped.
After leaving the salon, he didn’t head home. Instead, he hit the mall for a wardrobe upgrade.
The original owner's clothes were all wrinkled and shabby, every penny he had went to those women, never sparing a thought for himself.
With a sigh, he stepped into the fitting room.
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]
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
