Depression...
The mere mention of depression made Wang Lili's mentality nearly collapse.
She had long since realized that the so-called "depression" back then was just a lie concocted by two people to deceive her.
Yet, at the time, she had fallen for it—handing her precious daughter over to the wolves.
Fortunately... now it seemed Jiang Che was truly a good man worthy of entrusting Qiaoqiao's life to.
"Jiang Che, I was wrong. I pushed my daughter too hard back then. If not for you... who knows what kind of disaster might have happened?"
Meanwhile, Qin Qiaoqiao sat primly beside Jiang Che, occasionally stealing glances at her parents from the corner of her eye.
Then, she scooted a little closer to Jiang Che, looking every bit the picture of an obedient girl.
As memories of her time with Jiang Che flashed through her mind, her cheeks couldn't help but flush.
She realized... she hadn’t even properly experienced a romantic relationship.
In a moment of impulsiveness, she had skipped straight past dating and let Jiang Che have his way with her.
Looking back now, her heart still fluttered with emotion.
"Huh? Qiaoqiao, why is your face so red?" Wang Lili frowned.
"Uh... I'm just glowing with good health," the girl fibbed.
Qin Shou, who had been silent on the sofa, finally spoke up.
"Young Master Jiang, what are your plans for the future with Qiaoqiao? I’ve heard you have quite a few girls around you..."
His words froze the smile on Wang Lili’s face.
After all, they were just an ordinary family.
No parents would want their daughter’s partner to be a playboy.
"Young Master Jiang, Qiaoqiao is just a simple girl, and our family has no influence... we can’t compare to you..."
In short, they were still worried!
Even if Jiang Che seemed to dote on Qin Qiaoqiao now, who knew if he might suddenly change his tastes and cast her aside?
Qin Qiaoqiao grew visibly upset.
"Mom, Dad, stop it!"
"I’m doing just fine with Jiang Che. The other girls treat me well too... You don’t even know anything, yet you jump to conclusions!"
Her cheeks puffed up in frustration—her parents were still biased against him!
Wang Lili and Qin Shou exchanged glances, both seeing helplessness in each other’s eyes.
Was she really taking his side so blatantly?
All their efforts in raising her had gone to waste!
...
On the way home, they passed by the neighborhood where Shen Yu lived. Jiang Che slowly pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Qiaoqiao, I’m going to pick someone up."
Qin Qiaoqiao blinked. "Who?"
"Guess?"
Jiang Che smirked mysteriously. He planned to bring Shen Yu, the aloof ice queen, to stay at the Jiang residence for a few days—to dip this pristine white cloth into the colorful dye of his household.
Let’s see if she could maintain her cold demeanor after that.
"Oh~"
Qin Qiaoqiao nodded obediently and waited quietly in the car.
...
The moment Jiang Che arrived at the Shen family’s doorstep, a loud BOOM echoed from inside!
"What the—? What just exploded?!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Che vaulted over the wall and barged into Shen Yu’s home.
Thick smoke billowed from the kitchen, an alarming sight.
"Damn, were you conducting a chemistry experiment in there?"
Just as he was about to rush in, a small, soot-covered creature darted past his feet, screeching in terror.
Apparently, the once-adorable orange cat, Huangdoufen (Soybean Powder), had now turned into Heidoufen (Black Bean Powder).
Then, a human-shaped figure covered in grime emerged from the kitchen, hair disheveled and mouth puffing out black smoke.
Jiang Che: "......"
Shen Yu: "......"
Without a word, Jiang Che grabbed Shen Yu and dragged her straight into the bathroom.
An hour later...
A freshly cleaned Shen Yu stood in the living room.
"Were you synthesizing a new type of explosive?" Jiang Che asked dryly.
"I was cooking," Shen Yu replied with complete seriousness.
Then, a trace of confusion flickered in her eyes. "I followed the instructions precisely, down to the exact timing. Why did it still fail?"
Jiang Che’s lips twitched. "Cooking? I’d believe you were demolishing the place!"
"Then again, God is fair—He opens one door and closes another. You’re already so brilliant... why bother cooking? Stick with me, and I’ll treat you to delicious food every day."
Unintentionally, he had slipped in a cheesy pickup line.
But for a girl like Shen Yu, whose heart was sealed in concrete, no amount of sweet talk made a dent. Using his "Heartreader" ability, Jiang Che couldn’t detect even a ripple of emotion from her.
"Come on, Little Yu’er... why not stay at my place for a couple of days? Let me show you the warmth of a big family."
Though he phrased it as a suggestion, Jiang Che gave her no chance to refuse.
He scooped her up in a princess carry.
"Jiang Che, I can’t leave. Who will take care of Huangdoufen?"
"What’s the big deal? Bring her along."
With one hand holding Shen Yu and the other grabbing the soot-stained cat, Jiang Che strode out.
Shen Yu was only wearing pajamas—completely "vacuum-sealed" underneath, leaving her at risk of accidental exposure.
But with no bystanders or surveillance around, Jiang Che wasn’t worried about prying eyes.
He stuffed her into the back seat of the car and climbed in after her.
"Drive us home," he instructed Dong'er.
Qin Qiaoqiao was stunned.
Seeing the stunning, barely dressed girl beside her, she froze for a second—before excitement took over.
Shen Yu!!!
Jiang Che had actually conquered this untouchable academic goddess?!
Honestly, as a girl herself, Qin Qiaoqiao had always admired Shen Yu’s brilliance.
Shen Yu was the epitome of icy elegance—what if this aloof girl revealed a completely different side under Jiang Che’s influence?
Qin Qiaoqiao sat by the window, pretending to look outside, but her eyes kept darting back to Shen Yu.
No wonder! No wonder Jiang Che took over an hour—now it all made sense!
It all made sense, hehe~
Her thoughts took a decidedly naughty turn.
...
"Little Yu’er, what do you think? Want to stay at my place for a few days?"
Only after the car had already reached the mansion did Jiang Che finally ask.
The epitome of shamelessness.
"Meow—!"
Huangdoufen, who had been holding it in the whole ride, leaped out of the car and dashed into the spiritual herb garden.
Rolling around in the dirt, the cat looked utterly delighted.
Jiang Che glanced at Huangdoufen.
This silly little cat was adorable in her human form, but taking her in outright would leave a bad taste in his mouth.
After all, she was clueless—Jiang Che wasn’t that much of a degenerate to prey on an innocent kitten.
So you see...raising something from scratch can be quite enjoyable. When Huangdoufen stays in the spirit field long enough, she naturally develops spiritual energy. A catgirl you've nurtured with your own hands...
Now that sounds exciting!
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
some people's 18th birthday, deities bestow a playing card imbued with "supernatural abilities." 52 playing cards, 52 unique powers. Those who receive these special cards gain admission to the finest supernatural academy. School Beauty: "I have the Queen of Spades—I can summon any weapon!" Rich Heir: "My dad holds the Jack of Diamonds—it grants infinite wealth!" Meanwhile, in another corner, a young man wields his card, effortlessly using all 52 abilities. The crowd gasps in shock. "What card do you have?" The youth glances at his card and smirks: "Well..." Busiest in the circus, wildest in Gotham. Standing guard at McDonald's, unmatched in the deck. "Please check the book title."
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"