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.
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!"
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
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...
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
