The winter snow in Jingzhou this year fell exceptionally heavy.
The entire city was swaddled in a thick, quiet layer of white.
The main residence of the Huangfu Family was ablaze with lights.
The central heating had steamed a thin layer of condensation onto the massive floor-to-ceiling windows.
Through this misty veil, one could see the snowflakes swirling wildly outside.
It also shut out the biting cold wind beyond.
In the banquet hall, glasses clinked.
Men and women in elegant attire held champagne flutes, their faces adorned with proper, impeccable smiles.
They discussed finance, real estate, cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Each word represented the flow of wealth amounting to hundreds of millions.
This was the center of power, a showcase for fame and fortune, a breeding ground for desire.
It was also a massive, ornate cage.
Ten-year-old Huangfu Chengshi stood in a corner of this cage.
He wore a slightly ill-fitting, white child's suit.
This suit had been hastily purchased by his stepmother's orders.
The sleeves were a bit too long, the shoulders a bit too broad.
It made Huangfu Chengshi look like a child who had stolen an adult's clothes to wear.
Even more, he resembled a young songbird, its feathers not yet fully grown, forcibly stuffed into a display case.
He did not belong here.
Huangfu Chengshi knew this very well.
His father, Huangfu Ting, the Third Master of the Huangfu Family, was holding a wine glass, laughing and chatting with a banker.
Huangfu Ting's gaze had never once drifted towards this corner.
Father Huangfu Ting was a charming and dashing man.
His mother had been Huangfu Ting's first love.
An ordinary woman without any background.
She had passed away from illness not long after giving birth to Huangfu Chengshi.
Huangfu Ting's affection for his first love might have been sincere.
But that sincerity had long been worn away under family pressure and the relentless flow of time.
He soon, under the family's arrangement, married another woman of suitable social standing as his stepmother, Zhuang Wanqing.
At this moment, his stepmother, dressed in an elegant cheongsam, was discussing next month's new arrivals from Paris with several society ladies.
Her smile was gentle and virtuous.
Zhuang Wanqing genuinely admired Huangfu Ting.
And so she hated.
She hated the woman who had once stolen the man she loved.
And by extension, she loathed the only child that woman had left behind.
She would not mistreat him.
Such behavior was beneath her status.
She simply treated him as air.
A thorough and polite neglect.
As for his father, that fickle and philandering man.
At home, he held little authority to begin with.
Towards this child who constantly reminded him of that "inglorious" past, he showed not a shred of concern.
Even when they occasionally met in the hallway.
Huangfu Ting would only frown, cast a fleeting glance, and then look away.
As if his son, Huangfu Chengshi, were some unclean stain.
The servants, naturally, were all experts at reading the wind.
Otherwise, they wouldn't survive in the Huangfu household.
Since Huangfu Chengshi received no care from his parents, the servants naturally followed suit, currying favor with the powerful and bullying the weak.
Thus, within this splendid prison called "home," Huangfu Chengshi became an extra, ill-fitting, and awkward presence.
"Young masters, you may go play in the snow in the garden now."
A servant approached and said respectfully.
This was a fixed part of the banquet routine.
The adults remained inside, engaged in their "hunt."
The children were herded outside for their "games."
For the children of the Huangfu Family.
So-called free time was merely a small-scale game of power.
And Huangfu Chengshi was always at the very bottom of the food chain.
He knew his "game" was about to begin.
He had deliberately appeared here today.
He had deliberately worn this ridiculous suit.
He had also deliberately, two days prior, let his father "accidentally" see his report card, which once again showed him ranked first in his entire grade.
He knew his father would receive a few words of praise from Grandfather because of it.
He also knew this praise would become a thorn, deeply embedded in the hearts of his eldest and second uncles.
It would even become a whip, lashing at his good-for-nothing older cousins.
He had set a trap.
A childish, yet malicious, trap set by a child.
He himself was the perfect bait.
He quietly followed a group of his cousins out of the warm banquet hall.
The icy air instantly enveloped him.
He gave a slight shiver.
Not from the cold.
But from a flicker of excitement at the impending spectacle.
The snow in the garden was deep, crunching underfoot with a "squeak-squeak" sound.
Several children soon began playing noisily.
Having snowball fights, building snowmen.
Their cheerful laughter carried far.
Huangfu Chengshi did not join in.
He walked alone towards the rockery deep in the garden.
The lighting there was dim, a blind spot for the surveillance cameras.
It was also a perfect stage.
He had just walked behind the rockery.
Several figures closed in around him.
Leading them was his eldest uncle's son, Huangfu Chengxuan.
He stood half a head taller, wearing a thin, insincere smile.
"Huangfu Chengshi, I heard you got first in your grade again on the mock exams?"
Huangfu Chengshi kept his head down, silent.
He clenched the hand hidden in his pocket.
Inside it was a fountain pen.
A reward from Grandfather just a few days prior.
A globally limited edition.
He knew Huangfu Chengxuan had been eyeing this pen for a while.
"Bookworm, what else can you do besides study?"
Another cousin gave him a shove.
"I heard Third Uncle got praised by Grandfather again because of your grades?"
"Just an unwanted stray kid, what's there to be so proud of?"
All sorts of venomous insults rained down on Huangfu Chengshi like pellets of hail.
Huangfu Chengshi remained silent.
He counted the seconds in his mind.
According to his calculations.
In another five minutes, the old butler responsible for patrolling the garden would pass by here.
The old butler was the person Grandfather trusted most.
As long as he saw this scene.
As long as he saw him, injured "by accident" while protecting Grandfather's gift.
Then, Huangfu Chengxuan and the others wouldn't have an easy time for a while.
Grandfather valued face above all and detested infighting among brothers.
"Get that new pen of his."
Huangfu Chengxuan finally lost patience.
He gave the order.
"A limited edition from Grandfather, wasted on someone like him."
Huangfu Chengxuan reached a hand towards Huangfu Chengshi's pocket.
Here it comes.
A glint of cold light, almost imperceptible, flashed in Huangfu Chengshi's eyes.
He suddenly clutched his pocket protectively.
His body trembled slightly from "fear."
"Oh? You dare to resist?"
This act of his thoroughly enraged Huangfu Chengxuan.
He shoved Huangfu Chengshi to the ground.
The icy, damp snow instantly soaked through the thin fabric of the suit.
Several children swarmed over him.
Fists and feet immediately began to land on his body.
The children's blows weren't very heavy.
But they were enough to leave some bruises that looked frightening but didn't actually harm any bones or tendons.
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
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)
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
