"System, is there any way to resolve the petrification of the Merfolk?"
When in doubt, just ask the system!
"Yes."
The system replied without hesitation. Nowadays, it answered for free, no longer demanding points from Jiang Che—because asking was pointless anyway. That guy would never pay up.
"There are 23 methods to resolve petrification. Which one do you need?"
Jiang Che skimmed through the solutions provided by the system.
"Celestial Spirit Water: Purges all negative effects on oneself, including poisoning, curses, petrification, supernatural afflictions, and misfortune... Price: 1 million points per drop."
"Human Bloodline Replacement: The host can switch to a non-human bloodline, rendering the ancestral curse of the Merfolk null and void."
"Merfolk Bloodline Upgrade: The host can purchase a higher-tier imperial bloodline for the Merfolk, overwriting their original lineage and nullifying the ancestral curse."
Jiang Che flipped through the lengthy list, his lips twitching.
Seriously? It wants me to ditch my human bloodline?
What the hell?
So I’m just supposed to stop being human?
Absolutely not!
Jiang Che kept scrolling, searching for a method that didn’t cost points.
Well, well—look what he found!
His eyes instantly lit up.
"Lover’s Sacrifice: When the Merfolk ancestors cast the curse, they left a loophole. If a human is willing to sacrifice themselves for their beloved, drawing a drop of heart’s blood at midnight and noon each day and applying it to the petrified area, the petrification can be temporarily halted. However, the agony of heart-piercing at these hours is unbearable for ordinary people."
Damn, sis, how romantic is this? "Heart-piercing agony"?
Seems the Merfolk ancestors weren’t completely ruthless—they left a sliver of hope.
For most cultivators, enduring heart-rending pain twice daily would make love seem trivial.
But our Young Master Jiang is different. Heart’s blood?
How about I drain a whole bucket for you right now?
And if I throw in a little melodrama in front of Jia Ling'er, wouldn’t that girl be utterly smitten?
[Ding! Host successfully tricked Jia Ling'er, earning 5 million "Scoundrel Points."]
Screw you! How is this a trick? This is pure love!
You clueless little system!
...
Night deepened, but Jia Ling'er couldn’t sleep.
She could only curl up in Jiang Che’s arms until dawn.
"Jiang... Jiang Che!"
Jia Ling'er had dressed, using her wide sleeves to hide her petrified pinky finger. She didn’t want him to know about her condition—not yet.
"Yaaawn... What’s up, Ling'er? Why so gloomy?"
Jiang Che smirked as he asked.
"Oh... It’s nothing! I’m just a little hungry!" Jia Ling'er’s heart was in turmoil.
Memories of last night flooded her mind—her petrification was accelerating. Could it be... she was subconsciously falling for this guy?
And his sleep-talking... Did he really love her too? Even consider her irreplaceable?
At her age, with her heart just awakening to love, she couldn’t help but overthink. And the result? Her petrification sped up, her entire pinky now nearly stone.
"Alright, sweetheart. Your hubby will cook for you right away. What do you fancy? Some celestial fruits? I’ll pick a few for you!"
Gone was his usual playboy demeanor—now he was the epitome of tenderness.
"I..."
Jia Ling'er lowered her head. "Some congee will do."
"Got it. Today, you’re the princess. Your wish is my command, alright?"
Jiang Che took her hand, kissed it, and bowed slightly like a perfect gentleman.
Everything was going exactly as Young Master Jiang had planned.
Half an hour later...
"Here, try my congee. My cooking skills are god-tier."
Jiang Che brought a steaming bowl to Jia Ling'er.
The warmth made her freeze for a fleeting moment.
[Why? Why are you suddenly so gentle, you bastard? I can’t even bring myself to hate you anymore! I should kill you!]
Jia Ling'er was fuming inside.
Her subconscious had already developed feelings for Jiang Che, but this affection was lethal poison. She had to crush it before it took root!
Last night, she’d replayed all his sins and cruelties in her mind, trying to convince herself not to sink deeper.
But today, he’d transformed into someone entirely different—lavishing her with affection?
Watching Jia Ling'er sip the congee delicately, Jiang Che smirked inwardly.
Got you right where I want you, little miss.
A flirtatious rogue? Easy. A devoted lover? Piece of cake.
"Why... are you suddenly so nice to me?" Jia Ling'er whispered.
Jiang Che rested his chin on his hand, smiling at her.
"I had a dream last night."
"What dream?" Jia Ling'er tensed. Had her mother’s dream magic pulled him in too? That’d be disastrous!
"In the dream, I saw you turn into a stone statue because you fell in love with me. I... crossed mountains and rivers, endured countless hardships. You know what they say—'play with fire, get burned.' By the time you turned to stone, I was powerless to stop it."
"It scared me awake. So, well..."
Jiang Che’s gaze softened. "But I’m probably overthinking it, right? The Jia Lan Clan wouldn’t actually have some petrification curse, would they?"
Jia Ling'er’s heart pounded in terror.
His dream... It had to be influenced by her mother’s dream magic. Otherwise, how could it be so accurate?
"Ling'er? Why so quiet? Don’t tell me it’s true?" Jiang Che teased.
"N-no! Of course not! Our Jia Lan Clan is invincible! How could we turn to stone? I’m the princess of the clan—who could petrify me?"
Jia Ling'er crossed her arms defiantly, but her panic was obvious.
"Good. Otherwise, if you turned to stone... I’d be heartbroken."
Jiang Che pulled her close, his words like needles piercing her heart.
Crack—
In her panic, Jia Ling'er realized with horror—her pinky had turned completely to stone.
"Get lost! I’ll never turn to stone! Don’t you dare jinx me! I... I’m already unlucky enough to be stuck with you! Just wait till my mother descends—she’ll beat you senseless!"
"Ha! Jiang Che fears nothing. I answer for my actions—but first, get past the Jiang Family!"
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
] 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.
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
