Time is a silent river.
It washes over the urban village in Anhe County.
It etches deeper the wrinkles on Ye Sanqi’s face.
And it carries the infant in swaddling clothes, shaping her into a healthy, resilient girl.
Ye Ruoxi.
She is seven years old.
This household holds two worlds.
One belongs to Ye Sanqi.
The other belongs to Zhang Cuilan.
Ye Ruoxi lives in the crevice between them.
Ye Sanqi’s world is warm.
He leaves for the construction site before dawn.
Returns long after dark.
His clothes always carry the grit of labor and the scent of sweat.
But he brings things back for Ye Ruoxi.
Sometimes, an apple from the worksite—one he couldn’t bear to eat himself.
Sometimes, a crushed biscuit.
Sometimes, nothing at all.
Only his calloused, yet tender hands.
He uses them to ruffle Ye Ruoxi’s hair.
To clumsily tie her uneven pigtails.
His pockets hold little money.
But he gives her every ounce of his gentleness.
Zhang Cuilan’s world is cold.
She speaks sparingly.
Her gaze is like the moss-covered well in the courtyard—
bottomless.
The chill is most palpable at the dinner table.
Zhang Cuilan picks the largest piece of meat from the pot and places it in Ye Sanqi’s bowl.
"Eat more. Your work is hard."
She meticulously gathers the remaining scraps into her own bowl.
Then slides the dish of vegetable broth toward Ye Ruoxi.
Ye Ruoxi’s bowl is always filled with rice.
Sometimes, a few wilted greens.
Never meat.
Ye Sanqi notices.
He splits his portion in half and gives it to Ye Ruoxi.
"Eat, Xixi. You’re growing," he says with a smile.
Zhang Cuilan stays silent.
But she sets down her chopsticks.
The air in the room freezes.
Ye Ruoxi learned early to read moods.
She devours the meat in haste.
Then bows her head, shoveling plain rice into her mouth.
Pretending nothing happened.
Ye Ruoxi is quiet.
Unlike the village children who run wild, she prefers crouching by the wall, watching ants march.
For hours.
She collects pebbles too.
Arranges them in rows by size and color.
Ye Sanqi doesn’t understand.
But he thinks his daughter is special—bright.
Zhang Cuilan calls her a freak.
Once, Aunt Wang visits.
She and Zhang Cuilan sit in the yard, snapping beans.
"Cuilan, you’re blessed," Aunt Wang says enviously.
"Your girl’s sharp. My brat just plays in the mud all day."
Zhang Cuilan snorts.
"Blessed? More like cursed. What’s the use of brains? She’s not a son. Once grown, she’ll belong to another family."
"Don’t say that," Aunt Wang murmurs.
"Rumor has it your own mother rushed your marriage for your brother’s dowry. Barely took any bride price. Weren’t you bitter then?"
Zhang Cuilan’s face pales.
She hurls the beans into the basin.
"Shut your mouth! None of your business!"
Her venomous eyes land on the small, silent figure by the wall.
Ye Sanqi knows none of this.
He only knows his daughter must go to school.
Using a month’s overtime pay, he enrolls her.
Buys her a brand-new backpack printed with bunnies.
Zhang Cuilan erupts.
"Twenty yuan for a bag! Madness!"
"She’s studying, not parading!"
"That money could buy meat for five days!"
Ye Sanqi stays mute.
Just polishes the backpack over and over.
Then presents it solemnly to Ye Ruoxi.
"Study hard, Xixi. Aim for Jingzhou University."
He doesn’t truly grasp what that means.
Only overheard at the worksite that Jingzhou University exists.
If Xixi gets in, she won’t toil like him.
She’ll sit in bright rooms, live well.
Ye Ruoxi starts school.
A new window opens in her world.
Beyond it, sights she’s never seen:
Strange symbols on the blackboard.
Neat characters in textbooks.
She memorizes them at a glance.
Sings songs after one listen.
Solves arithmetic before others count fingers.
Her first midterms:
Full marks in Chinese.
Full marks in math.
The only perfect scores in her grade.
Ye Sanqi attends the parent-teacher meeting.
In his faded blue jacket, he perches on a tiny stool, uneasy.
The teacher calls Ye Ruoxi’s name.
"Ye Ruoxi is our grade’s most gifted student."
"Her memory and comprehension surpass her peers."
"Mr. Ye, you’ve raised an exceptional daughter. She’ll go far."
Ye Sanqi freezes.
Half a lifetime, and this is his first "Mr."
First public praise.
Because of his girl.
His sun-darkened face flushes.
He nods and grins, speechless.
That night, he buys pork head and cheap liquor.
Drunk, he clutches Ye Ruoxi’s hand, repeating:
"My good girl… my good girl…"
Tears drip into his cup.
He wraps the test papers in plastic.
Next day, he shows them at the worksite.
"Look! My daughter’s perfect scores!"
His voice booms with pride, as if holding the world’s rarest treasure.
Workers crowd around.
Most illiterate, but they recognize the red "100"s.
"Old Ye, your girl’s born for books!"
"Future top scholar!"
Ye Sanqi beams.
The backbreaking labor feels weightless.
But home smothers his joy.
Zhang Cuilan stares blankly.
"First place won’t fill her stomach or pay bills."
She tosses the papers aside like trash.
"Aunt Wang mentioned her nephew’s diner needs a child bride. Eight thousand in dowry."
She scrubs dishes, casual.
"With that money, we could rebuild the house."
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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.
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?"
