The supermarket manager walked in with a dark expression on her face.
The manager was a woman in her thirties, her face twisted into the irritable scowl of someone going through menopause.
“You lot, just lazing around here all day, stuffing your faces without a care in the world—must be nice, huh? Business is bad, so you don’t have to work? Take a look at that little convenience store down the street—their business is booming compared to ours!”
Once her temper flared, the manager unleashed a barrage of scolding.
The employees lowered their heads, silently cursing this harpy in their hearts.
After venting, the manager snapped, “Let me make this clear—since business is bad, you’re all getting fined! Forget about your year-end bonuses!”
One of the employees, a heavyset man, protested weakly, “But Manager, it’s already June… last year’s bonus—”
“What, you got a problem with that? All you do is eat, slack off, and take up space. Your appetite’s bigger than anyone else’s, but your work ethic? Nowhere to be seen.”
The manager’s angry gaze then landed on An Yi. “And you—the new guy!”
“Me?”
An Yi was baffled. He had just started working there yesterday—what could he possibly have done?
“You’re nothing but bad luck! Ever since you showed up, our business has tanked! Take a look at your section—how many customers have you had today? Zero!” the manager sneered.
Calling him bad luck?
An Yi was seething.
How the hell did she even know?
The manager’s eyes then swept over the only female employee in the store. With a disdainful twist of her plump waist, she snarled, “And look at you—your face is as wide as a plate, your head’s thick as a log, and your figure’s so flat you could pass for a board! If you were even half as pretty as that girl from the convenience store, our store wouldn’t be this dead!”
The female employee couldn’t hold back her tears. She ripped off her name tag and threw it down. “There’s no need to insult me like this! I quit this damn job—good luck finding someone else!”
“Hey, Xiaojuan!”
A few employees tried to stop her, but the manager just scoffed. “Let her go. The further away, the better. Useless girl, just looking at her is bad luck.”
Good riddance. Once she’s gone, they’d have an excuse to withhold her wages.
An Yi crossed his arms and stared at the fat woman.
This shrew had one vicious heart.
He’d heard people say this manager was a piece of work—now he saw it for himself.
“Guess I’ll have to find a new employee,” the manager muttered to herself.
Preferably a pretty one. That little convenience store was doing so well precisely because they had that fox-eyed girl luring in customers.
And damn her for wearing traditional dresses on top of it!
As night fell, the fading sunlight only emphasized the desolation of the supermarket, making it look even emptier than before.
The manager rested her chin on her hand, scheming about how to ruin that rival convenience store.
Spread rumors? Say the place was dirty, or that the girl was a prostitute?
Or maybe… slip something into their food…
Just as she was lost in her plotting, the store door swung open.
A breathtakingly beautiful girl stepped inside, gently knocking as she entered.
“Excuse me… are you hiring summer workers?”
Her voice was soft and timid.
The manager, who had been irritable moments ago, lit up at the sight of the stunning girl.
A pretty girl!
Here was one of her own!
And she was just as gorgeous as that girl in traditional dress!
“Yes! Desperately! What’s your name? When can you start?” The manager pressed eagerly.
The girl smiled gently. “My name is Lan Ruoxi. I can start tomorrow, if that’s okay.”
As she walked out of the supermarket, Lan Ruoxi’s lips curled into a faint smile.
An Yi works here, doesn’t he?
……
It was early summer in June.
The sunlight wasn’t yet scorching, and in the early morning, it filtered through the trees with a soft, gentle warmth.
“Come take a look! Grand Supermarket’s special promotion—spend 100, get 20 off! All items included…”
The once-deserted Grand Supermarket was now packed to the brim.
The discount was one thing, but what really drew the crowd was something else entirely.
Standing at the entrance was a serene, graceful girl.
Her long hair was tied into a sleek black ponytail, and she wore a JK uniform—a short pleated skirt paired with black stockings that accentuated her slender, perfectly shaped legs.
And judging by her proportions… she was definitely well-endowed.
Holding a stack of flyers, she handed one to every customer with a sweet smile. “Welcome.”
“Holy hell, what’s going on with this street lately? Two absolute stunners in one neighborhood? I swear, even TV stars can’t compare!”
“Hah, one wears traditional dresses, the other rocks a JK uniform—now this is competition done right!”
A group of men whispered among themselves, their gazes lecherous.
The girl shifted uncomfortably, tugging slightly at her skirt.
She usually dressed conservatively, and this short skirt and stockings combo made her feel exposed.
“Ruoxi? What are you doing here?”
An Yi strolled up to the supermarket, a steamed bun in his mouth, barely making it on time for his shift. When he spotted the girl in the JK uniform, he nearly choked on his food.
Lan Ruoxi’s eyes sparkled the moment she saw him. “A-An Yi! Y-you… what a coincidence…”
Naturally introverted, she stumbled over her words in excitement, her cheeks flushing pink.
“The college entrance exams are over, and there’s still time before the semester starts… so I took a summer job here. I didn’t expect to run into you,” she murmured shyly.
Her bashful expression melted the hearts of every man nearby.
Unfortunately, that smile wasn’t meant for them.
An Yi, lazily chewing his bun, suddenly found himself the target of countless hostile glares.
Still… there was something oddly familiar about this kid.
An Yi frowned.
This girl just graduated high school? She’s younger than him!
Well… but she was technically an adult now. And damn, did she develop well…
He grinned. “The exam results must be out by now—how’d you do?”
“I’ve already received my acceptance letter from Donghai University!” Lan Ruoxi replied with quiet pride.
Donghai University was the best in the province—getting in was no small feat.
An Yi raised an eyebrow. “Hey, we’ll be at the same school!”
“Really?!”
Her eyes lit up with joy before curiosity took over. “But… isn’t the semester still going? Why aren’t you in class?”
“Ahem, just gaining some real-world work experience,” An Yi said airily.
“Experience my ass! You’re late, you know!”
The manager happened to step outside just then, and seeing An Yi’s carefree demeanor, her temper flared again.
“Be right there.”
An Yi swallowed the last of his bun and winked at Lan Ruoxi. “See you at lunch—I’ll treat you!”
“Okay!”
Clutching her flyers, Lan Ruoxi beamed.
Her radiant smile could’ve melted glaciers.
The customers at the entrance stared, slack-jawed, their expressions turning downright dopey.
Meanwhile…
A sleek, luxurious limousine slowly rolled into the street.
“Young Master Qiu, I’m telling you—my niece is drop-dead gorgeous! A true beauty that could topple cities!”
Inside the car, a short, rotund man grinned obsequiously at the young man across from him—a man lounging with a glass of red wine, one leg crossed over the other.
The young man directly splashed the red wine in his hand onto the fat man’s face and said coolly, “You owe me three million, and you think you can settle it with just a woman? Lan Yihe, do you really think your niece is some fairy descended from heaven?”
Qiu Xu.
The young master of Hongtu Real Estate!
Lan Yihe wiped the wine from his face and forced a smile. “Young Master Qiu, when have I ever lied to you? My niece won’t disappoint—the photos don’t lie.”
Qiu Xu swirled his wine glass, slowly drained the remaining liquid, and revealed a faint smirk. “I’ve seen them. Otherwise, why would I come to this backwater? But three million? Not worth it.”
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
