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.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
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?
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)
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
