Upon hearing the assistant's words, Mo Qingli's room fell into complete silence. Every executive present was stunned.
Kovate Corporation? They'd heard of it—the second-largest supplier in Country Y.
But their technology had always been a tier below that of Thorn Mining.
How could they suddenly achieve a technological breakthrough?
And why would they proactively reach out at such a critical moment?
It was all too coincidental.
"Coincidence?" Mo Qingli murmured to herself.
No.
In this world, there weren’t that many coincidences—especially not when it came to a business war involving billions.
She turned to her assistant. "Who contacted us?"
"It was Kovate’s newly appointed... Board Strategic Advisor," the assistant replied, his expression growing even more peculiar. "He said his surname is Lin."
Lin.
Lin Yuan.
Lu Chenyuan’s former chief assistant, now the CEO of Abyss Dragon Technologies.
A realization flashed through Mo Qingli’s mind like lightning. She understood everything in an instant.
This was all Lu Chenyuan’s doing.
Before she had even set foot in Country Y, before she had known she was walking into a storm, this man had already arrived ahead of her. He had acquired Kovate, developed new technology, and paved the way for her—clearing every obstacle in her path.
And he hadn’t even told her. He had simply done it all in silence.
An indescribable warmth surged in Mo Qingli’s chest, melting away the cold anxiety that had gripped her.
So, she wasn’t fighting alone. She never had been.
"President Mo?" the Chief Operating Officer asked cautiously. "Should we... engage with Kovate?"
"Engage," Mo Qingli said, snapping back to her usual composed and decisive self.
"Tell them I want to speak directly with whoever has decision-making authority."
She paused, then added:
"Now. Immediately."
......
Outskirts of Oscity.
A private ski resort.
The place had been cleared out, leaving only a few people on the vast slopes.
Lu Chenyuan was deep in conversation with an official from Country Y’s Ministry of Commerce, discussing his "New Energy Industrial Park" proposal—a plan that perfectly aligned with the country’s future development strategy.
The agreement was reached effortlessly.
After seeing the official off, Lu Chenyuan was about to leave when a black Bentley pulled up in front of the ski lodge.
The door opened, and Mo Qingli stepped out, clad in a blue ski suit.
She removed her goggles, revealing a pair of bright, captivating eyes.
She simply looked at him, wordless.
Lin Yuan, ever perceptive, discreetly withdrew.
Lu Chenyuan knew—she had figured it all out.
"The scenery here is nice," he said, breaking the delicate silence.
"It is," Mo Qingli agreed, stepping closer. "Perfect for discussing a multi-billion-dollar deal."
Her tone gave nothing away.
"That was just a side investment," Lu Chenyuan replied.
"Was it?" The corner of Mo Qingli’s lips curved slightly. "Then I should thank you, President Lu, for ‘incidentally’ solving a major problem for me."
She took another step forward, closing the distance between them to less than half a meter.
She could even catch the crisp, wintry scent lingering on him.
"Lu Chenyuan," she said, locking eyes with him. "Why didn’t you tell me?"
Lu Chenyuan fell silent. How could he answer?
Should he say, Because I knew you’d be in trouble, so I came to save you?
Who would believe such nonsense?
"I thought you could handle it on your own," he offered, a weak excuse.
Mo Qingli laughed.
"Yes, I could have handled it," she nodded. "I would’ve filed lawsuits, sought new suppliers, mobilized every resource to fight this battle."
"But it would’ve cost me time, energy. Maybe even a heavy price for the Mo Group."
"And yet, with just a wave of your hand, you made it all disappear."
Her gaze remained steady.
"Do you think I’m useless?"
"Of course not," Lu Chenyuan denied immediately.
"Then you just don’t see me as one of your own," she said, a faint trace of hurt slipping into her voice.
Lu Chenyuan had no response.
Reasoning with women—especially women like Mo Qingli—was never a wise choice.
Seeing his flustered expression, Mo Qingli suddenly smiled.
"Alright, I’ll stop teasing you," she said, stepping back to restore some distance.
"Business is settled. Now, it’s personal time."
She gestured toward the slopes.
"Since we’re here, how about a run?"
Lu Chenyuan glanced at the steep slope, hesitating.
"I don’t know how," he admitted honestly.
In his past life, he’d been a poverty-alleviation official—he’d barely even seen snow, let alone skied.
In this life, as a perpetually busy CEO, he’d never had time for such luxuries.
Mo Qingli’s eyes flickered with surprise before melting into amusement.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Perfect," she said, clapping her hands in delight. "I’ll teach you."
An hour later.
Lu Chenyuan had gained a profound understanding of the phrase "every profession has its own mastery."
In the business world, he strategized effortlessly, commanding victories from afar.
But on the slopes, he was as clumsy as a penguin.
"Lower your stance, lean forward, use the inside edge to steer..."
Mo Qingli was a patient instructor, guiding him tirelessly.
She skied with effortless grace—like a snow spirit, or a queen ruling over winter itself.
Lu Chenyuan fell. Again and again.
Each time, Mo Qingli would glide over, laughing, and pull him up.
Their physical contact became frequent, natural.
He could sense the joy radiating from her, bright and infectious.
Even through the thick layers of their ski suits, he could almost catch the faint fragrance of her hair.
The invisible barrier imposed by the original plot seemed to soften, just a little.
Lu Chenyuan realized—he didn’t dislike this feeling.
In fact, he rather enjoyed it.
Sunlight spilled over the pristine snow, casting dazzling reflections.
The world was quiet, save for the sound of skis carving through powder and their occasional laughter.
"Let’s take a break."
Mo Qingli led Lu Chenyuan to a midway platform.
They sat on a bench, gazing at the distant mountains and forests.
"I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time," Mo Qingli said softly.
"Neither have I," Lu Chenyuan admitted.
In both his past and present life, his shoulders had always carried too much responsibility.
Moments like this—where he could simply exist, free of thought, just enjoying the sport and the scenery—were rare.
"Lu Chenyuan," Mo Qingli suddenly turned to him, her gaze earnest. "Thank you."
"Again?"
"This ‘thank you’ is different," she said, her eyes clear and sincere.
"I’m not thanking you for solving my problem."
"I’m thanking you for letting me know I’m not alone."
"In this world, apart from my parents, there is one more person who would silently stand behind me, shielding me from the storm. This feeling... it’s wonderful."
Lu Chenyuan’s heart was deeply stirred.
He gazed at the woman before him—independent, resilient, radiant.
Yet even the strongest queen, in the depths of her heart, would not refuse a shoulder to lean on, a partner who would walk beside her through anything.
Lu Chenyuan parted his lips, about to speak.
Just then—
A sudden disturbance erupted!
A piercing roar tore through the air from the snowy slope above them.
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
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, 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?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
