As the saying goes, "Buddha relies on gold adornment, and people rely on fine clothing." Dressed in a high-end men's outfit, Zhou Yi was so handsome that the sales clerk beside him couldn't take her eyes off him.
Zhou Yi adjusted his collar and looked at the young man in the mirror wearing a crisp white shirt.
His tall stature, striking features, and aloof expression, paired with the high-quality shirt, made him the epitome of an untouchable heartthrob—the kind who seemed distant and unapproachable.
Many girls these days were drawn to this type of cold, mysterious handsome guy, finding the distance intriguing.
Zhou Yi decided to embrace this "male god" persona.
After purchasing the designer shirt worth thousands, he checked his phone and noticed his balance had increased again—thanks to the admiration from the sales clerk and passersby.
He glanced around and realized many girls in the mall were staring at him.
"He’s so handsome—is he a rookie idol or something?"
"I kinda want to ask for his WeChat, but I don’t dare. His gaze is so icy."
"Me neither... I’m scared of being rejected."
The whispers of the girls behind him reached his ears.
Zhou Yi turned his head slightly, and the two girls immediately blushed, avoiding his gaze and pretending to fiddle with their phones.
After he left, they excitedly snapped photos of his profile and silhouette, posting them on their university’s forum.
"Holy crap, just saw an insanely hot guy. Is he from Huai University? Anyone know him?"
The post quickly went viral, though Zhou Yi remained unaware that he’d already earned a new nickname: "The White Shirt Heartthrob."
Under the scorching sun, Zhou Yi walked toward a fast-food restaurant.
He looked up at the azure sky, where a towering skyscraper pierced through the clouds in the distance—the city’s bustling commercial center.
A memory surfaced: Chu Han once sneered down at the original host of this body.
"See that skyscraper? Wen Hao’s family’s company is up there. That’s a height you’ll never reach in your lifetime. How dare you compare yourself to Wen Hao? Know your place."
The girl’s mocking expression and condescending tone were etched vividly in the original host’s memories.
Just seeing that building triggered the recollection.
"Never reach, huh..." Zhou Yi murmured to himself, his eyes fixed on the skyscraper. "We’ll see about that."
Zhou Yi wasn’t the original host. He was ambitious by nature, and even without the original host’s grudges, he had no intention of living an ordinary, unnoticed life.
His destiny was to live a life of grandeur.
Inside the fast-food restaurant...
You Man checked her reflection in the mirror and glanced at the time on her phone. She pressed her lips together, meticulously inspecting every inch of her face.
Today, she had carefully filled in her eyebrows and applied a subtle coat of lipstick—a muted rose shade that added just a hint of color to her complexion.
You Man stared blankly at the lipstick in her hand.
She knew she shouldn’t be doing this, yet she couldn’t help but want to look her best before seeing Zhou Yi.
She understood exactly why.
A woman beautifies herself for the one she admires—she wanted to capture Zhou Yi’s attention.
It had been so long since she’d last worn lipstick that she could barely remember.
On the sink counter sat the hand cream Zhou Yi had given her. She picked it up, examined it, then set it back down with a sigh.
Her mind kept replaying Zhou Yi’s gentle demeanor and the words he’d spoken.
But she constantly reminded herself: Zhou Yi was just a student. She couldn’t entertain improper thoughts about him.
The more she resisted, the more she longed to see him.
Last night, as she lay in bed, Zhou Yi’s voice filled her thoughts before sleep took her. She was falling deeper, unable to pull herself free.
"Man Jie, are you in there?"
Zhou Yi’s voice came from outside. You Man took one last look at her reflection before hurriedly stashing the lipstick and hand cream in the drawer.
"You’re early today, Xiao Yi." When she opened the door, her fingers curled nervously. She stole a cautious glance at Zhou Yi—and froze.
This young man before her... was Xiao Yi?
Dressed in an elegant white shirt, with his bangs no longer obscuring his face, his refined features struck You Man like a bolt of lightning.
She was speechless.
"Man Jie, what’s wrong?"
Zhou Yi knew exactly why she was reacting this way.
She’d already been deeply affected by him yesterday. Now, seeing his dramatic transformation, her admiration soared even higher.
Unsure, You Man whispered, "Xiao Yi?"
Zhou Yi smiled warmly, his handsome face leaving her flustered.
"It’s me. What, did a haircut make me unrecognizable?"
He raised an eyebrow, and You Man’s cheeks flushed crimson.
The original host had always hidden behind long bangs and glasses, leaving You Man with only a vague impression of a pale-faced boy.
In her memories, his face had always been obscured. Now, with his hair trimmed and glasses gone, he looked like... this.
"I’m just surprised. Xiao Yi is... so good-looking. I’ve never seen anyone as handsome as you in real life. Did I act weird just now?"
You Man touched her burning cheeks, too shy to meet his eyes.
Zhou Yi’s gaze was deep and mesmerizing, like a whirlpool pulling her in, making escape impossible.
Tilting his head, Zhou Yi leaned against the doorframe and brought his face closer to hers. Suddenly, he chuckled.
"Man Jie, you look beautiful today."
In his past life, Zhou Yi had dated at least twenty or thirty women, many of whom wore makeup. He could tell at a glance.
You Man had clearly filled in her brows and applied lipstick. Though subtle, the difference was noticeable upon closer inspection.
There was no denying her natural beauty. Her eyes were inherently alluring, and with the delicate arch of her willow-leaf brows and the slight upward tilt of her outer corners, she looked even more enchanting—like a seductive fox.
Yet her gaze remained innocent and shy. This contrast stirred something deep within Zhou Yi, darkening his eyes.
You Man abruptly looked up, and their eyes locked. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe.
"At my age, beauty doesn’t matter anymore. Don’t tease me, Xiao Yi."
She quickly pushed past Zhou Yi and hurried to the dining table, pouring herself a glass of water.
If that moment had lasted even a second longer, she might have lost control and hugged him.
She needed water to cool down before she did something reckless.
Zhou Yi followed and sat beside her.
As You Man reached for a second glass, Zhou Yi "accidentally"—or perhaps not so accidentally—grabbed her hand instead of the cup.
You Man felt an electric jolt run through her the moment their eyes met. She looked up to find the boy gazing at her with an innocent expression.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
] [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!"
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...
