The siblings soon emerged from the study.
Lu Chenyuan tied his apron back on.
Mo Qingli naturally walked over to help him wash vegetables.
No excessive words were exchanged between them.
Yet when one handed over a plate, the other turned to receive it.
When one frowned at the stove’s heat, the other silently adjusted the flame lower.
Their bone-deep understanding and warmth filled the entire space with coziness.
Lu Ruoxi sat on the sofa, watching them.
Fragments of her memories surfaced—the hysterical arguments, the so-called "love" riddled with schemes and betrayals.
Then she looked at Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli again. No earth-shattering vows, no dramatic obsessions.
Just a restrained, mutually respectful, yet unshakable bond between two adults.
Partners. Comrades. Family.
This—this was what real love should be.
This—this was the kind of genuine world she yearned for.
Half an hour later, Su Yang arrived.
In his hand was a box of desserts.
"Ruoxi mentioned Qingli likes the mango pancakes from this shop, so I brought some on my way," Su Yang explained sheepishly.
"That’s very thoughtful of you," Mo Qingli said with a smile as she accepted it.
Dinner was soon served.
The four of them gathered around the table.
Like a family.
They discussed the next optimization steps for the "Nuwa" model, a programming issue Su Yang had recently encountered, and a new energy project Mo Qingli had taken an interest in.
No one brought up Li Jinchuan again.
As if he were merely a minor system glitch—already debugged and unworthy of mention.
After the meal, Lu Chenyuan said to Su Yang,
"Li Jinchuan has no moral boundaries. From now on, try not to be alone with Ruoxi."
"I’ll arrange security personnel to watch over you both 24/7."
Once Lu Ruoxi and Su Yang had left,
the apartment returned to its quiet serenity.
Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli wordlessly cleaned up the dining area and kitchen together.
Then they stood side by side before the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the glittering city below.
"Aren’t you going to ask me?" Lu Chenyuan broke the silence first.
His voice was soft, as if afraid to disturb the peace.
"Ask what?" Mo Qingli tilted her head to look at him.
"Ask what Ruoxi and I talked about. Ask who I really am," he said.
Mo Qingli understood then. She recalled the rural anecdotes he occasionally shared,
the odd assortment of skills he possessed,
his five-star-chef-level cooking and those bafflingly obscure recipes.
She smiled and shook her head.
"Who you are doesn’t matter."
"What matters is that you’re here."
"What matters is that you’re Lu Chenyuan."
"Chenyuan."
"Hmm?"
"It’s so good to have met you," she murmured, burying her face in his chest.
She only trusted the reality she could see and touch with her own hands.
And this man before her—he was her reality.
Warmth bloomed in Lu Chenyuan’s chest.
He wrapped his arms around her.
No words were needed.
He simply lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss.
For some reason, the usually composed and restrained Lu Chenyuan seemed unusually aggressive today.
His affection toward Mo Qingli was also far more lingering.
His kiss was tender yet fervent, laced with cautious reverence.
His palm glided gently along Mo Qingli’s back, as if handling fragile porcelain.
His passion ignited Mo Qingli in turn.
She looped her arms around his neck, rose onto her toes, and deepened the kiss. The unspoken devotion between them spoke volumes in that silent exchange.
After what felt like an eternity, Lu Chenyuan slowly pulled away, resting his forehead against hers as their breaths mingled.
His voice was low and rough, deliberately restrained: "Let’s get some rest."
With that, he scooped her up effortlessly and carried her toward the bedroom.
Inside, the warm glow of wall lamps cast a soft halo, painting their silhouettes onto the walls.
Lu Chenyuan laid Mo Qingli down on the plush bedding, then sat beside her, brushing stray strands of hair from her forehead.
His gaze burned with barely contained emotion before he forced composure and made to stand.
Mo Qingli tugged at his sleeve, tilting her chin up with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. "Don’t you dare leave," she whispered.
Lu Chenyuan’s resolve crumbled instantly. A tender smile curled his lips as he murmured, "Alright."
…………
……
Outside, the night grew deeper.
……
The next day, at the top-floor office of Yuanlong Technologies.
"President Lu, Li Jinchuan is like a rabid dog," Zhang Qi said coldly. "Cornered, he’ll bite indiscriminately."
"Then we’ll pull out his fangs and muzzle him," Lu Chenyuan replied, his gaze icier than ever.
"I’ll make him understand—times have changed."
"Reckless brute force is the most useless thing in this era."
Then he issued a direct order:
"Initiate the highest-level surveillance protocol."
"Target: Li Jinchuan."
"Understood."
"Additionally, establish a dynamic defensive perimeter around Su Yang and Lu Ruoxi. Security teams will work in 24/7 shifts. Screen all suspicious personnel and vehicles entering the research institute."
"Remember, our goal isn’t to prevent him from committing crimes," Lu Chenyuan said, his tone devoid of warmth.
"It’s to compile an irrefutable dossier of all his past and present sins the moment he acts—and deliver it straight to the authorities."
"Li Jinchuan’s time is up."
Zhang Qi’s pulse spiked.
"Understood, President Lu."
"I’ll personally oversee this legal net to ensure it’s flawless."
After the arrangements, Lu Chenyuan stood by the office window, unmoving for a long time.
……
To Li Jinchuan, Lu Ruoxi’s rejection at the tech forum was no longer a test.
It was betrayal.
A betrayal against him, the "chosen protagonist."
His hatred no longer targeted Lu Chenyuan alone.
Su Yang.
That name festered in his heart like a poisoned thorn.
He had to be eliminated.
Once Su Yang was gone, Lu Ruoxi would "snap out of it," and the plot would return to its rightful course.
Stepping out of his apartment, Li Jinchuan squinted against the harsh sunlight.
Yet he felt an unprecedented surge of power within.
He didn’t return to Qin Corporation.
That place had become his pillar of shame.
He would build his own empire.
Using his "awakened" memories, he’d reclaim the forces that were rightfully his.
He hailed a cab and headed to a destination.
West District, a rundown pool hall.
A gathering spot for society’s dregs.
Guided by memory, he zeroed in on a man playing pool.
The man was in his thirties, with a vicious scar on his left cheek and ruthless eyes.
This man—this was the first chess piece in Li Jinchuan’s grand plan to rebuild the empire that should have been his all along.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
] [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!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
