This is what you call forced optimism.
Having persuaded Mu Miao, Little Wei was in an especially good mood. Humming a tune, she tied her skirt around her waist, waded into the water, and began spearing fish with a tree branch.
"Damn it! Why won’t this fish cooperate?" The moment Little Wei thrust her branch into the water, the fish darted away with nimble agility.
"Do you even know how to catch fish?" Si asked skeptically.
"Of course I do! Who do you think you’re looking down on?" Little Wei fired back, suddenly fired up.
After thirty failed attempts—and nearly choking on water when she lunged into the stream—she gave up on the idea of having meat for dinner.
"Cough, cough." Little Wei spat out the water, patting her chest to catch her breath. Soaked and uncomfortable, she sighed in frustration.
"Why do you like fish so much?" Si asked, puzzled.
"This fish is delicious, and humans can’t just live on greens and potatoes, right?" Little Wei tugged at her damp clothes, her face full of dejection.
"Got it," Si said abruptly.
Before Little Wei could react, a golden flash lit up the stream. Several plump fish leaped out of the water, landing in the bucket by the shore with a couple of splashes.
This guy’s cheating—no fair.
Little Wei froze in shock.
"Can… can I do that too someday?" She was instantly envious of city folks.
And they even know magic.
"Sure. After completing missions in a fantasy or cultivation world, you usually get rewards like cultivation techniques or immortal arts."
Little Wei was utterly smitten.
"Consider this payment for the mung bean cakes," Si said, his cheeks slightly flushed.
Who knew why, but seeing Little Wei so downcast had made him unable to resist spoiling her.
This was against the rules.
Hopefully, the company wouldn’t notice—otherwise, his paycheck would take a hit.
"Alright, thanks, Si! I’ll go grill the fish." Little Wei perked up immediately. Noticing Mu Miao still basking in the sunlight, she chirped, "Master, we’re having grilled fish today! And fish soup!"
There were so many fish—enough for two or three days.
Mu Miao’s lips curled into a faint smile.
"Good."
"Oh, Si, can I go to a fantasy or cultivation world next?" Little Wei was already looking forward to it.
"Nope." Si poured cold water on her excitement.
Before she could ask why, he continued, "In those worlds, the villains don’t get treated any better than the protagonists. You’ve read those novels—the main characters cheat their way through everything, and the world’s order is way more chaotic. You’ll probably have to wait two or three more worlds before getting a cultivation mission."
Little Wei knew he was right. By then, brains wouldn’t matter anymore.
Just brute force.
And she loved that kind of violence.
While the protagonists were busy romancing, she’d secretly cultivate and outshine them all.
Her mood lifted even further as she gathered firewood for the grill—perfect for fish and sweet potatoes. The soup simmered in a pot nearby.
Half an hour later, Little Wei emerged from the kitchen with a bowl of fish soup.
"Master, I picked out all the scallions—just fish left, and I removed the bones. There’s some diced potato in it too. Try it!" She ladled a small portion into a bowl and set it on the stone table.
Mu Miao cautiously found the spoon, leaned in to inhale the fragrant aroma, then took a sip. Pleasure flickered across her face.
"Your cooking has improved."
"Of course!" Little Wei gloated inwardly.
She had apprenticed under a restaurant chef, after all.
Turning back, she saw the grilled fish and sweet potatoes were ready. She plated them carefully.
The fish was perfectly charred on the outside, tender inside, and—most importantly—boneless. The aroma alone made her mouth water. Taking a small bite with her chopsticks, her eyes lit up.
"This is amazing!"
The spicy, numbing flavor was her absolute favorite. The fish was so silky and tender she couldn’t put her chopsticks down.
Mu Miao’s portion wasn’t spicy. Little Wei picked out the meat and placed it in her bowl.
"Master, try this one—no chili."
At the mention of no spice, Mu Miao’s expression shifted oddly, but she still picked up a bite with her chopsticks.
Then, her neck tilted slightly, as if eyeing Little Wei’s plate.
"You want mine?" Little Wei hadn’t expected Mu Miao to like spicy food.
Mu Miao nodded.
Little Wei fed her a bite. Mu Miao parted her lips cautiously, and the bold, numbing heat flooded her mouth—delicious.
"Are these your chopsticks?" Mu Miao asked suddenly after swallowing.
"Yeah," Little Wei confirmed.
Mu Miao: "…"
A visible blush spread across Mu Miao’s cheeks. Too flustered to speak, she buried herself in her meal.
After dinner, Little Wei brought Mu Miao a rattan chair to lounge by the bonfire, shielding her from the night’s chill.
Changed into fresh clothes, Little Wei sprawled on the soft grass. The firelight danced across her features, and the stars speckled the night sky like scattered dots.
It reminded her of that meadow she’d once visited with Ning Moqing.
A scene like this was too perfect to waste on anything but sleep.
She dozed off instantly.
The next morning, Little Wei jolted awake from a nightmare—a post-apocalyptic world where someone stole her last pack of instant noodles. She’d fought desperately but lost.
"My noodles!" she lamented.
Then she blinked. She was lying on a rattan bed.
Wait, hadn’t she fallen asleep on the grass?
Did Master carry me in?
No way. Blind and still managing to haul me back? That’s ridiculous. Yawning, she flopped around lazily, refusing to get up.
The journey from the valley to the capital had nearly wrecked her legs.
Today, she’d take a break—her entertainment? Teasing her master.
"By the way, how are the main couple? Fighting yet?"
If the female lead had any conscience, she’d argue with the male lead over her father’s sake.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have all that angsty back-and-forth.
(Though they’d still end up happily ever after.)
"They fought—pretty viciously. But then they still ended up… you know."
Little Wei knew exactly what Si meant, but…
At a time like this? How could they still be in the mood for that?
Is this the whole "couples fight and make up in bed" thing?
"Disgusting," Little Wei spat in disdain.
Meanwhile, Su Qingyun and Mo Yujun were still embroiled in their dramatic, tragic soap opera.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
