Ye Ruoxi was ten years old.
Her birthday fell on a fine autumn day.
The sky stretched high, and the clouds were thin.
It was the weekend, so Ye Ruoxi didn’t have to go to school.
But Ye Sanqi still had to work.
Before leaving in the morning, he deliberately changed into his cleanest work clothes.
He crouched down, meeting his daughter at eye level.
His hands were still rough, like cracked tree bark.
His smile was still warm, like the autumn sun.
"Xixi, it’s your birthday today. Dad promises to bring you a real cream cake when I come back tonight."
A cream cake.
Ye Ruoxi had only ever seen one in the display window of the town’s lone bakery.
The snow-white frosting looked like clouds in the sky.
Adorned with tiny red flowers made of jam.
She nodded vigorously, her eyes shining like they were filled with stars.
"Dad, come home early."
"Okay."
Ye Sanqi left.
His figure disappeared at the end of the alley.
Heading toward that perpetually dust-choked construction site.
Ye Ruoxi spent the whole day waiting.
She finished her homework.
Swept the house.
Even re-braided her little pigtails.
She sat in the yard, washing the small pebbles she’d collected, one by one.
Then she arranged them on the ground into a big circle—
The shape of a cake.
She plucked a few red petals from wildflowers on the wall.
And carefully placed them as decorations on her "cake."
Zhang Cuilan came out of the house carrying a basin of laundry.
Seeing her playing, she snorted.
"All you know is how to play! Can you eat the dust off the ground? Go sweep it again!"
Ye Ruoxi didn’t talk back.
She stood up, silently picked up the broom in the corner.
And swept every inch of the yard until it was spotless.
She thought, if the house was cleaner, Dad would be happier when he came back.
Then she carried a small stool to the front gate.
And waited.
For her father.
For her cream cake.
The sun slowly slid toward the western mountains.
The light shifted from a blinding gold to a soft orange-red.
Stretching her tiny shadow long, so very long.
The alley filled with the aroma of cooking.
Neighbors returned from work one after another.
The clatter of pots and pans mixed with parents calling their children for dinner.
Zhang Cuilan shouted from inside.
"Stupid girl! Get in here and eat! What are you waiting for?"
"I’m waiting for Dad."
Ye Ruoxi said softly, her gaze stubbornly fixed on the alley’s entrance.
"Waiting for him? By the time he gets back, the food will be ice-cold! Suit yourself!"
Zhang Cuilan grumbled, serving herself and sitting down to eat.
The sound of chewing was unnervingly loud in the quiet house.
The sky darkened completely.
Stars emerged one by one from the deep blue curtain of night.
The alley’s streetlights flickered on, one after another.
Their dim yellow glow illuminated only small patches.
The rest remained swallowed by darkness.
Ye Ruoxi still sat there.
She wasn’t hungry.
Wasn’t cold.
She just kept staring down the alley.
She wondered—maybe Dad was working overtime, maybe there was extra work at the site.
Maybe the bakery was crowded, and he was standing in line.
Maybe something had delayed him on the way.
She imagined countless possibilities.
Each one a reason why that familiar figure hadn’t appeared yet.
The night deepened.
The alley fell completely silent.
Only the occasional distant bark of a dog broke the stillness.
Zhang Cuilan had long since finished eating, washed up, and gone to bed.
Even the sound of light snoring drifted out.
Ye Ruoxi hugged her knees, resting her chin on them.
She felt like crying.
But she held it in.
Dad had said Xixi was a strong girl—she couldn’t cry so easily.
Finally, footsteps echoed from the alley.
Heavy. Uneven.
Not one person.
A group.
Ye Ruoxi shot up like a startled fawn.
Light returned to her eyes.
She thought it was Dad, coming home with his coworkers.
They always returned like this—laughing loudly, arms around each other’s shoulders.
But as they neared, she realized—
Dad wasn’t there.
At the front was Foreman Wang, a middle-aged man with a slight paunch.
Behind him followed several workers Ye Ruoxi recognized.
Their faces held none of their usual cheer.
Only something heavy and evasive—something she couldn’t understand.
One of them, a young worker called Little Ma—
Ye Sanqi often mentioned him, saying he reminded him of his younger self.
Little Ma’s arm was wrapped in dirty bandages.
His eyes were red and swollen.
He couldn’t look at Ye Ruoxi.
Foreman Wang stopped at the gate. The dim light carved shadows into the wrinkles on his face.
He looked at the small girl, frail in the night breeze.
His throat worked, but no words came out.
"Uncle Wang, where’s Dad?"
Ye Ruoxi asked, her voice trembling in a way she didn’t notice.
"Is he… still working? Did he drink too much? Do you need to carry him back?"
No one answered.
A silence like death.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Foreman Wang pulled a bulging envelope from his pocket.
It was thick, made of kraft paper.
He held it out to Ye Ruoxi.
"Xixi… your dad… there’s been an accident."
In that instant, the world lost all sound.
Ye Ruoxi didn’t hear what Foreman Wang said next.
Didn’t hear the workers’ stifled sighs.
She only saw Little Ma suddenly drop to his knees.
With his uninjured hand, he pounded his own head.
Then let out a wail like a wounded animal.
"It’s my fault! Sis! It’s all my fault!"
"If Brother Ye hadn’t pushed me away, I’d be the one dead! Me!"
Zhang Cuilan woke to the crying in the yard.
She threw on a coat, storming out while cursing.
"Who’s wailing in the middle of the night? Shut up!"
Then she saw Foreman Wang.
Saw the obscenely thick envelope in his hand.
Heard Little Ma’s heartrending screams.
Her face turned ashen.
Several steel pipes had come loose without warning.
Ye Sanqi shoved aside Little Ma, who’d frozen in shock.
The pipes struck his head.
He was gone before he hit the ground.
This was the truth Ye Ruoxi later pieced together from hushed conversations among neighbors.
The sun of her life had set without warning.
On her tenth birthday.
She never got her cream cake.
Only an icy envelope stuffed with money.
And a cold, stiff body lying in the main room, covered by a white cloth.
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
