Not long after the wedding ceremony at Jingzhou University's small auditorium, Lu Ruoxi and Su Yang indeed followed Lu Chenyuan's "order" and enjoyed a brief yet peaceful honeymoon.
Like all newlywed couples, they traveled, watched movies, strolled through streets, and went shopping. Su Yang made every effort to immerse Lu Ruoxi into the rhythm of ordinary life.
However, for Lu Ruoxi, the torrent of her thoughts could not be easily paused.
Perhaps, it could not be paused at all.
Maybe the moment Lu Chenyuan found Lu Ruoxi in Anhe County, her fate had already veered onto another trajectory—one destined for solitude.
As soon as the honeymoon ended, she practically rushed back to the laboratory.
Su Yang, as always, stayed by her side.
He understood that this lab was where his wife truly found peace.
Still, Su Yang relayed the news to Lu Chenyuan at the first opportunity.
Lu Chenyuan felt both helpless and concerned.
He worried that his sister would once again slip into that sleepless, almost self-destructive state.
Thus, Lu Chenyuan decided to visit the lab in person.
On a sunny afternoon, the super-dad Lu Chenyuan brought Lu Shi'an to Lu Ruoxi's laboratory.
He wanted to gently remind her that life was not just about code and formulas.
A sleek black "Limitless" electric car glided silently down the tree-lined path before coming to a smooth stop in front of a building.
Yuanlong Technology Research Institute, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
Lu Chenyuan unbuckled his seatbelt and glanced back.
In the child safety seat behind him, Lu Shi'an had already fallen asleep, a faint smile lingering on his little face as if he were dreaming something sweet.
Leaning over, Lu Chenyuan carefully lifted his son into his arms.
The little one shifted slightly, nestling into a comfortable position before continuing his slumber.
Lu Chenyuan moved with deliberate gentleness, his face softening in a way even he didn’t notice.
The lab’s glass doors slid open automatically.
Su Yang was already waiting at the entrance.
Dressed in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, he exuded a clean, refreshing aura.
Time had smoothed away the youthful naivety from his eyes, leaving behind a steady, warm gaze.
Spotting Lu Chenyuan, he quickly stepped forward.
"Brother," he greeted naturally.
When his eyes landed on Lu Shi'an in Lu Chenyuan’s arms, his expression softened further.
"Asleep?" he whispered.
"Yeah, just dozed off," Lu Chenyuan replied with a smile. "Where’s Ruoxi?"
"Inside," Su Yang gestured toward the depths of the lab. "She seems to have… entered her zone these past few days."
Su Yang’s choice of words was peculiar.
He didn’t say she was busy or tackling a difficult problem.
Instead, he said she had "entered her zone."
Lu Chenyuan nodded in understanding.
Su Yang led him further in, passing through several layers of strict security checkpoints before the space suddenly opened up.
This didn’t look like a traditional laboratory.
It was more like a futuristic hall of thought.
A vast, high-ceilinged expanse with pristine white walls.
No tangled wires, no mountains of equipment.
Just rows upon rows of sleek black server arrays emitting a soft blue glow.
The only sound in the air was the low, rhythmic hum of the servers’ liquid cooling systems, like the ebb and flow of tides.
Dozens of researchers were scattered across different sections.
No one spoke.
The entire space was punctuated only by the occasional clatter of keyboards.
Each person was immersed in their own world, engaged in silent yet fiercely intense battles with code, data, and logic.
At the very heart of the lab stood an enormous data screen that spanned nearly an entire wall.
On it, a waterfall of data streamed endlessly.
Before the screen, a slender figure in a white lab coat stood motionless, like a statue communing with the universe.
It was Lu Ruoxi.
Lu Chenyuan slowed his steps.
He didn’t approach to disturb her.
Su Yang wheeled over a reclining-style baby crib.
Lu Chenyuan carefully placed Lu Shi'an inside.
Only then did he walk over to Lu Ruoxi, following her gaze toward the cascading data.
This wasn’t simple code—it was an intricate tapestry of symbols and formulas he couldn’t begin to comprehend.
They pulsed, combined, and evolved on the screen with an uncanny rhythm, like a logical lifeform birthing itself.
After what felt like an eternity, Lu Ruoxi finally seemed to notice Lu Chenyuan’s presence.
"Brother, you’re here," she said, her eyes still fixed on the screen, though her voice carried a trace of quiet delight.
"Yeah," Lu Chenyuan replied. "Came to check on you."
"Didn’t I tell you to rest a little longer? The development of 'Kaitian' isn’t something that needs to be rushed."
He hesitated before asking, "I saw the news. 'Feng Mang' and 'Prometheus' are making aggressive moves. Are you under a lot of pressure here?"
Lu Ruoxi seemed to process his words slowly.
"I’m not rushing 'Kaitian’s' progress," she said.
"And… pressure?" She repeated the word, tilting her head slightly as if puzzled.
"No, brother."
"That’s not pressure."
"That’s a gift… one I’ve been waiting for."
Lu Chenyuan was taken aback.
"A gift?"
"Yes." Lu Ruoxi’s eyes seemed to gleam faintly.
She walked over to a massive whiteboard nearby, covered in a complex neural network diagram.
"'Kaitian,' 'Feng Mang,' 'Prometheus'—the three of us are essentially doing the same thing."
"Making this neural network deeper, broader, more intricate."
"Like three top-tier race car drivers pushing the limits of internal combustion engines to the very edge of physical laws on the same track."
She looked at Lu Chenyuan earnestly as she explained,
"Their relentless pursuit has shown me the finish line of this path."
"No matter how fast we run on this classical computing track, it has an end. All we can do is approach it infinitely, but we’ll never break through."
Lu Ruoxi spoke at a measured pace, yet every word carried weight.
She didn’t sound like a scientist caught in the throes of a corporate battle.
She was more like a seeker of truth who had glimpsed a higher revelation within the halls of science.
To her, competition wasn’t a zero-sum game—it was a beacon illuminating the limits of the road beneath her feet.
Lu Ruoxi no longer needed anyone to shield her from the storm.
She had become the sky itself, vast enough to embrace both wind and rain.
"So, you’ve found a new track?" Lu Chenyuan asked.
"I have," Lu Ruoxi nodded.
She didn’t elaborate further.
Instead, she led him into a smaller, private office nearby.
This was her personal space.
Every wall was covered in electronic whiteboards, and the floor was strewn with piles of handwritten notes.
The whiteboards and papers were filled with dense, meticulously derived formulas.
They were written in a mathematical language even more primal and abstract than the symbols on the data screen outside.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
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.
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.
