In the taxi.
An Yi was driving while Lin Chen sat in the back, neither speaking.
Lin Chen gazed out the window, his already cold expression growing even more stern.
An Yi hummed a tune, glancing at Lin Chen through the rearview mirror before smirking. "What, still sulking?"
Lin Chen remained silent for a long moment before finally murmuring, "Thanks."
They both knew why.
If An Yi hadn’t stopped him, he might have made a decision he’d regret for the rest of his life.
An Yi waved it off with a chuckle. "You’ve got a real problem. You act all cool and collected, but the moment you lose your temper, you’ll say anything."
Lin Chen didn’t respond, continuing to watch the scenery flash by outside.
"So… are you from the Underworld?" An Yi probed casually.
The mission for the Asura’s Legacy was only 2/9 complete.
In just a few months, he’d already secured Zhang Fan and Fang Jueming.
Bai Xiu was just waiting for his Destiny Points to rise, and Shangguan Qianqian had already become his subordinate—so she shouldn’t be too difficult either.
Compared to them, Lin Chen was the real challenge.
Their relationship wasn’t as hostile as when they first met, but getting this stubborn soldier to willingly call him "Boss" wouldn’t be easy.
An Yi had a hunch that the key to Lin Chen’s main quest, [Wolf King’s Revenge], lay with the Underworld.
Lin Chen replied flatly, "Stop prying. It’s none of your business."
"Come on, I won’t tell anyone!" An Yi said with a grin.
Lin Chen simply closed his eyes and refused to speak.
"Tch, what a poker face."
An Yi sighed and slammed on the brakes. "We’re here."
"Thanks."
Lin Chen opened the door and stepped out without another word.
An Yi glanced up at the brightly lit room on the second floor, lost in thought.
That must be Qin Yao’s room.
Wonder what she’s doing?
Tap tap!
The sound of knuckles rapping on glass snapped him out of it.
An Yi rolled down the window to see Lin Chen’s icy face staring back at him.
"Why aren’t you leaving?"
An Yi:
Back at the rental apartment.
The bedroom light was still on.
Curious, An Yi pushed the door open and couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Shen Muxuan was curled up on his bed, fast asleep, looking as adorable as a kitten.
"This girl… why does she keep sneaking into my bed? And she didn’t even change out of her hanfu—how is that comfortable?"
An Yi scratched his head and sighed before expertly pulling out his inflatable mattress.
Just then, the system notification chimed.
Ding! Side Quest [Scumbag’s Desire]! Reward: Evil Power Value +50!
"Scumbag?!"
An Yi was furious.
This damn villain system had no bottom line—how could it assign such a shameless quest?!
But the real kicker? 50 Evil Power Value.
An Yi swallowed hard.
Evil Power Value was the foundation of his strength. His resolve wavered.
[Scumbag]
Objective: Hold hands with a target for 12 hours!
Penalty: Shorten by five centimeters!
An Yi:
"Holy hell!!"
Five centimeters?!
If he failed three times, would it just… disappear?!
"SCREW THIS DAMN SYSTEM!"
It had crossed a line he couldn’t ignore!
Cold sweat drenched his back as he glanced at Shen Muxuan on the bed. Without hesitation, he lunged over and grabbed her hand.
"Mmm…"
Shen Muxuan stirred, blinking sleepily before her eyes widened in surprise. "An Yi? You… you’re back?"
"Uh, yeah. Back."
An Yi held her hand awkwardly.
"Where’ve you been? You didn’t come home for two days."
She pouted slightly, but her eyes sparkled like stars.
An Yi deflected, "More importantly, why are you sleeping in my bed instead of your own room?"
"B-because it’s hot! My room doesn’t have AC," she answered matter-of-factly.
An Yi smirked. "Really? It’s almost October. And the AC isn’t even on."
"It is hot! It just is!"
Shen Muxuan’s cheeks flushed as she lightly punched his chest in protest.
"Alright, alright. You’re burning up. Go back to sleep."
Still holding her hand, An Yi teased before whispering soothingly.
"Mm."
She smiled, biting her lip before snuggling closer and drifting off again.
As he watched her sleep, hand in hand, thoughts of Lan Ruoxi surfaced, leaving An Yi conflicted.
Was he a scumbag?
No, no.
By the rules of his homeland, the Ancient Continent, this didn’t count! He wasn’t even from this world!
With that rationalization, he fell asleep guilt-free.
The next morning, sunlight streamed in.
Still half-asleep, An Yi felt his nose tickling unbearably.
"Achoo!"
He sneezed awake to find Shen Muxuan grinning mischievously—she’d been teasing him with a strand of her hair.
"Lazybones, wake up! It’s already 10!"
An Yi yawned.
He’d only gotten back at dawn, severely sleep-deprived. Four hours of rest wasn’t nearly enough.
"My hand’s numb… you’ve been holding it all night," Shen Muxuan said, lifting their intertwined fingers.
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."
She’d thought it was just a saying, but after two days apart, he’d become so clingy he wouldn’t even let go of her hand.
The moment Shen Muxuan tried to pull away, An Yi’s eyelid twitched violently. "DON’T LET GO!"
Five centimeters were at stake!
If she let go now…
His future happiness would be gone forever!
"Fine, fine. I won’t let go."
Shen Muxuan’s lips curled into a sweet smile.
Who knew this blockhead could be so romantic?
An Yi exhaled in relief, sweat beading on his forehead. Seven hours and twenty minutes left. Almost there.
Still drowsy, he focused and activated Mind-Calming Technique!
After one cycle, his mind was crystal clear!
"As expected of a technique passed down by Elder Cheng, a top-tier expert. Impressive!"
"Um, An Yi…" Shen Muxuan hesitated.
An Yi blinked. "What’s up?"
She pointed at the blanket. "You… lost a lot of hair."
An Yi’s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull at the sight of the strands scattered across the sheets.
"GODDAMMIT!
MY LUSCIOUS LOCKS!"
Still gripping Shen Muxuan’s hand, he scrambled into the bathroom in a panic.
"Wait, why are you dragging me along?!"
Shen Muxuan yelped as he hauled her inside.
After checking his reflection—still handsome, with sharp brows and bright eyes—An Yi sighed in relief.
Phew. Even with hundreds of hairs gone, it’s not noticeable. My face is still flawless.
"That sleazy Elder Cheng, tarnishing the reputation of top-tier experts.
Trash Mind-Calming Technique!
I’m giving it to Bai Xiu!"
"An Yi… can you step out for a sec?" Shen Muxuan whispered, face burning as she pointed to the door.
"Huh? Why?"
She squirmed, voice barely audible. "I… I need to use the bathroom."
An Yi:
"Uh… can you hold it for a bit?"
The moment the words left his mouth, even he felt like a scumbag.
But the thought of five centimeters steeled his resolve.
Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Shen Muxuan softened.
But then, her beautiful eyes brimmed with a hint of grievance, those glistening orbs fixed on An Yi as she pleaded in a pitiful tone, "You—could you please go out? I—I really can't hold it anymore."
--
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
] [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!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
