Jiang Che noticed Ji Ningxue's hesitant expression and immediately seized the opportunity to stir the pot.
"Fine, fine, I'll drink. Sister Ning already has an outstanding husband and a family... Why are you all egging her on? Besides, I lost the finger-guessing game earlier. I promised to punish myself with ten drinks, and I won’t skip a single one."
"No way, Young Master Jiang! Ten glasses of hard liquor... You could end up with alcohol poisoning. You absolutely can’t drink that!" Zhou Kai, ever the drama king, stepped in as the ultimate wingman.
To curry favor with Jiang Che, he was willing to go all out.
The two villains—one big, one small—had Ji Ningxue cornered with a classic guilt trip, standing atop their moral high ground and looking down with judgment.
With the crowd egging them on, Ji Ningxue finally softened.
It was true—ten glasses of hard liquor might very well land Jiang Che in the hospital.
"I... I’ll kiss you. Just stop drinking—it’ll hurt your stomach." Ji Ningxue clenched her delicate fists, her face flushed crimson all the way down to her neck, even the tips of her ears turning a shy pink.
"Woo-hoo! Kiss! Kiss!"
The crowd continued fanning the flames. Ji Ningxue clasped her hands behind her back, her gaze darting away nervously.
Her heart pounded wildly. She must have lost her mind to agree to such an absurd game.
Under normal circumstances, she would’ve turned and walked away without a second thought.
But that one strong drink had already left her slightly tipsy, and the alcohol gave her long-suppressed emotions an outlet.
Clearly, Zhou Kai had some real expertise when it came to wooing women. He hadn’t jumped straight into the "main event" between Jiang Che and Ji Ningxue—instead, he’d first made her drink.
If he’d gone straight for it, Ji Ningxue would’ve refused outright. But after a glass of strong liquor... things were different.
"Oh? Sister Ning, are you really ready?" Jiang Che blinked playfully.
"Mm... yes." Ji Ningxue nodded.
[After all, his relationship with Fei Fei is fake. It’s not like I’m betraying my best friend.]
When a woman’s heart is swayed, she’ll find countless excuses to justify herself.
The moment she said it, the crowd erupted even louder.
Ji Ningxue lifted her eyes to meet Jiang Che’s. Her heart raced. At 27, she’d even been married for three years, yet she still had her first kiss. And under the influence of alcohol... she felt bolder than ever.
Jiang Che leaned in closer...
"Ooooh!!"
"They’re kissing!"
The crowd was all for the drama, especially when things got this intense.
......
Meanwhile.
"Achoo!" Xiao Chen, riding his electric scooter home, suddenly sneezed.
"What was that?"
Just then, he’d felt a pang of unease.
"Could something have happened to Ning Ning?" Xiao Chen rubbed his head, anxiety creeping in.
He’d already reached his doorstep but turned around, ready to head back to the reunion to check on Ji Ningxue.
"Hey, you good-for-nothing, is dinner ready yet? I’m starving to death!"
A sharp, impatient voice cut through the air. A middle-aged woman glared at Xiao Chen with utter disdain.
Xiao Chen frowned. Who dared address him, the "Asura War God Dragon King," so disrespectfully?
But his expression quickly shifted. "Heh, Mom, I’ll get right to it. What would you like to eat?"
Clearly, Xiao Chen’s reputation as the "Ninja Turtle" wasn’t for nothing—his motto was "endure."
Zhao Li didn’t answer, only shooting him a venomous glare. She despised her son-in-law. What right did a worthless loser have to marry into the Ji family?
If not for Old Master Ji’s dying wish, she would’ve kicked Xiao Chen out long ago.
"Hah..." Xiao Chen’s forced smile met cold indifference, but he merely chuckled.
As the Asura War God, he’d seen it all. A single command from him could summon an army of 100,000. But he was tired of the bloodshed—all he wanted now was a peaceful life, to win over his wife Ji Ningxue with his unwavering love.
Just then, his phone rang.
Caller ID: [Tiaozao]
Frowning, he answered.
"Hey, Boss, it’s Tiaozao..."
Before Tiaozao could finish, Xiao Chen cut in. "What is it? I’m at the Ji residence—you know better than to contact me carelessly. If my identity gets exposed... you know the consequences."
Tiaozao knew Xiao Chen all too well. Though they often mocked him privately as a "simp," their respect for him never wavered—all because of his terrifying strength.
Years ago, when Xiao Chen had first founded the "Asura Sect," Tiaozao had witnessed him storm the headquarters of the then-9th-ranked assassin organization alone, wiping out the entire enemy force single-handedly.
He’d built assassin networks, security teams, and mercenary groups, establishing a vast web of connections overseas.
You could call Xiao Chen foolish, but never weak.
"Boss, remember two years ago when you were recognized by the billionaire?"
Xiao Chen nodded. "What about it? Tell that old geezer I’m not coming back to inherit anything. I just want to spend my life with Ning Ning..."
"Boss, you’ve got it wrong. It’s your biological father—he just found your triplet sisters. You have three younger sisters now!"
Xiao Chen scoffed. "Hah. The moment I saw that old bastard, I knew he was trash. Triplet sisters? More like ‘triplet sugar babies.’"
"Disgusting old pervert. I spit on him!" Xiao Chen’s eyes turned icy. If this morally bankrupt waste of space were overseas, he’d have already led his army to chop him to pieces.
"Boss... it’s real..." Tiaozao tried to explain.
"Enough. Don’t waste my time with this nonsense in the future."
Xiao Chen hung up decisively, tied on his apron, and got ready to cook a lavish dinner.
"Right, Ning Ning’s at her reunion—she might drink. I should make her some hangover soup first."
......
Back at the reunion.
"Hah—" Ji Ningxue stumbled back, gripping the edge of the table for support, her cheeks flushed.
Her mind was a complete mess, like a pot of glue.
Jiang Che casually wrapped an arm around her slender waist. "Sister Ning, one drink and you’re already this drunk?"
Ji Ningxue shook her head. "S-satisfied? I’ve done my part."
She glanced at her watch. "It’s getting late. I should head home."
Before she could finish, Zhou Kai chimed in. "President Ji, did you drive here? You can’t possibly drive back drunk. Lucky for you, that five-star hotel next door is owned by my family. How about letting Young Master Jiang escort you there?"
The rest of the room joined in the chorus—if they couldn’t read the room by now, they’d have wasted their twenty-plus years of life.
A cool breeze drifted through the window, sharpening Ji Ningxue's awareness.
"No need. I'll call someone to pick me up."
It had to be said—Ji Ningxue’s vigilance was impressively strong.
"Let me take you home. I haven’t been drinking," Jiang Che offered with a faint smile.
] [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!"
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
