At this moment, a crowd had gathered around.
Zhang Chen tossed the basketball to Xu Mu. "Young Master Xu, you go first. Like I said earlier, I’ll give you a three-point lead. First to five wins."
"Whether you give me the lead or not, the result will be the same."
Xu Mu dribbled the ball casually.
Truth be told, he enjoyed dribbling—just not this kind of ball.
After becoming a martial artist, his speed, reflexes, and control over his body far surpassed that of ordinary people.
How could Zhang Chen possibly compare?
"Everyone! Young Master Xu and I are having a manly showdown here. The loser has to avoid Ye Yu from now on—otherwise, he’s a dog!"
After saying this, Zhang Chen realized it rhymed. Maybe he had a talent for rap as well as basketball.
He deliberately announced the stakes to ensure Xu Mu wouldn’t back out later.
With so many witnesses, even if just to save face, Xu Mu wouldn’t dare approach Ye Yu again.
"Exactly."
Xu Mu nodded lightly. "Let’s begin."
The onlookers chuckled among themselves. Everyone already knew the outcome.
Maybe this guy was just someone Zhang Chen had brought in to help him show off.
After all, almost no one at school could beat Zhang Chen in basketball.
The two stood at half-court. Xu Mu held the ball while Zhang Chen crouched slightly, ready to intercept.
Xu Mu took two quick dribbles, then suddenly leaped for a shot from mid-court.
Zhang Chen was stunned. A half-court shot?
And judging by Xu Mu’s confidence, was he actually a pro?
Ye Yu’s eyes widened in shock. Had Xu Mu been hiding his skills all along? Was he secretly amazing at basketball?
Then again, it made sense—given how strong he was in that area, his physique couldn’t be weak.
[Affection +10]
But just as the affection points appeared, the ball hit the ground—a complete airball.
[Affection -10]
Ye Yu rolled her eyes. That was just a wild throw. Did Xu Mu even know how to play?
The crowd burst into laughter.
At first, they thought this guy might be a serious challenger, but he was just a rookie.
Zhang Chen smirked, relieved after Xu Mu’s initial scare.
"My turn, Young Master Xu!"
He grabbed the ball, eager to show off a dunk in front of the crowd.
He dribbled low, then suddenly dashed past Xu Mu’s left side.
But at that moment, Xu Mu pulled out his phone—Lu Xueyao was calling.
Ye Yu was furious. What was Xu Mu thinking?
Did he resent her so much that he couldn’t wait to push her away?
They were in the middle of a game, and he was checking his phone?
Then, something unbelievable happened.
Zhang Chen soared for a picture-perfect dunk—only to find Xu Mu suddenly in front of him, casually talking on the phone while swatting the ball away with one hand.
Thud!
The ball bounced off the ground and flew out of bounds.
The crowd was stunned.
What had they just witnessed?
"Did you see that? His head was above the rim!"
"That’s not even the craziest part—he did it while on a call!"
Ye Yu’s eyes sparkled. What was going on?
Xu Mu was actually… kind of cool?
[Affection +15]
Especially in that suit—his movements were even more captivating.
Some women in the crowd started squealing.
Zhang Chen gritted his teeth, his face dark. "Your turn, Young Master Xu!"
He’d been too eager to show off. If he’d just taken a three-pointer, he would’ve won easily.
"Xueyao, wait at the school gate. I’ll be right there."
Xu Mu hung up and pocketed his phone.
Back at half-court, he dribbled a few times before launching another mid-court shot.
Zhang Chen watched coldly. Was Xu Mu just trying to make him fetch the ball?
"Holy—it went in!"
The crowd erupted.
Zhang Chen froze. What?
A fluke?
Most assumed it was luck, but Xu Mu knew better—it was pure control.
His first shot had been to gauge the ball’s weight and distance.
This time, he adjusted slightly, and it went in effortlessly.
"Let’s continue."
Xu Mu’s tone was indifferent.
Zhang Chen took a deep breath. "Young Master Xu, I’m getting serious now!"
He tried to blow past Xu Mu’s left again—but the ball was suddenly gone.
Xu Mu had reached behind him and flicked it away.
"My turn."
Xu Mu caught the ball, dribbled twice, then shot from half-court again.
This time, he didn’t even watch. Hands in his pockets, he walked straight toward Ye Yu.
"With the three-point lead you gave me, that’s five. Stay away from Ye Yu from now on—or you’ll regret it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ball swished through the net.
The crowd was speechless.
A real man never looks back at his shots?
That was insane.
Zhang Chen stood frozen on the court, head lowered. Was Xu Mu some kind of monster?
[Affection +10]
Xu Mu checked the system. Ye Yu’s affection had turned positive.
As a Level 9 "Destined One," her affection granted him nine times the usual justice points.
Just 10 points of affection translated to 90 justice points—almost enough for a draw.
"Bro-in-law, you’re amazing!"
Ye Yu clung to Xu Mu’s arm, beaming.
The thought of Zhang Chen never bothering her again made her giddy.
"Basic skills."
Xu Mu remained calm. "Let’s go home."
——
At the school gate, Lu Xueyao spotted Xu Mu immediately.
At 6'1", he stood out in the crowd.
Just as she was about to call out, she noticed the petite girl beside him—Ye Yu.
Ye Yu was holding Xu Mu’s arm, chatting animatedly, her dimples appearing as she laughed.
Xu Mu noticed Lu Xueyao and her grandmother.
He quickly whispered to Ye Yu, "Tell them you’re my little sister. Got it?"
"Cheating on your wife?"
Ye Yu squinted, spotting Lu Xueyao in the distance.
"I just don’t want her grandmother to worry," Xu Mu said softly.
If the old lady knew he was married while Lu Xueyao still clung to him, she’d disapprove—and that could drive a wedge between them.
They approached Lu Xueyao and Wang Xiuzhen. Xu Mu spoke first.
"Grandma, sorry for the wait. Let’s get in the car."
Wang Xiuzhen glanced curiously at Ye Yu. "And this is…?"
"My little sister. I was here for her parent-teacher meeting." Xu Mu patted Ye Yu’s head affectionately.
"Hello, Grandma!"
Ye Yu smiled sweetly.
"Oh, I see."
Wang Xiuzhen nodded with a smile.
With Xu Mu and Lu Xueyao supporting her, the old lady took the back seat. Lu Xueyao and Ye Yu followed.
The car ride was silent.
Xu Mu first arrived at Lu Xueyao's home to escort her grandmother back.
Originally, Xu Mu intended to say his goodbyes, but Ye Yu spoke up first: "Grandma, Lu Xueyao and I want to go out together. Is that alright?"
Ye Yu saw this as an opportunity—a chance to make things clear in front of Xu Mu and drive this "other woman" away from her brother-in-law.
"Of course, just come back early," Wang Xiuzhen replied, thinking it would be good for Lu Xueyao to get to know her sister-in-law better.
After the three of them left, Ye Yu clung to Xu Mu's arm as usual.
Not to be outdone, Lu Xueyao immediately looped her arm through his other side.
Sandwiched between two stunning young women, Xu Mu could only feel awkward. He already had a hunch about what Ye Yu was planning.
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.”
] [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!"
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
