The next day.
Commercial Street.
Gu Yan sat on a public bench, tilting his head back to gaze at the azure sky. His eyes were slightly dazed—he still hadn’t fully recovered from the memories of the previous night.
The recollection of his time with Leng Qingqiu felt so vivid, so real, that he had nearly lost himself in it. Whether it was joy or sorrow, Gu Yan had experienced every emotion with raw intensity.
Just like the previous times Leng Qingqiu had blown his head off—each moment had been deeply immersive.
Gu Yan couldn’t help but suspect this was the system’s twisted sense of humor.
At that moment—
"Little brother, what’s wrong with you? You seem so distracted."
"Are you really that unhappy about spending time with us?"
The dissatisfied voice of Gu Yunrou reached his ears.
He turned to see her and Gu Yingying standing nearby, with bodyguards behind them laden with shopping bags.
"Happy? Of course I’m happy. Ecstatic, even."
Gu Yan stood up, a bright smile spreading across his face. "Go on, what else do you want to buy?"
"Oh? Feeling generous all of a sudden?"
"Absolutely. Aren’t I counting on you two to vote for me at the annual meeting?"
"Hah! So that’s your game? Isn’t this bribery?"
"This little bit of money is nothing to you, Sister Yunrou. Think of it as an emotional vote—for the sake of your dear brother keeping you company."
"Hmph."
Gu Yunrou’s lips curled slightly as she gave him an amused once-over. "You’ve got a silver tongue, don’t you? Fine. If you entertain us properly today, I’ll make sure everyone on my side votes for you. You won’t have to worry about Yingying and me at the meeting."
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Yingying scowled. "I never agreed to vote for this jerk!"
"Give me one good reason not to."
"Ugh… there are too many! You’re so useless—"
"I’m a Xiantian-level now."
"You’re so incompetent—"
"I’m a Xiantian-level now."
"You’re such a spoiled brat—"
"I’m a Xiantian-level now."
"…………"
Gu Yingying’s face flushed with frustration as she glared at Gu Yan’s infuriatingly calm smile. "So what if you’re Xiantian?! What’s wrong with being a Third-rate Martial Artist?!"
"I’m sorry for being so weak, okay?! You used to be even worse than me!"
With that, she stomped off in a huff. "Ugh! You’re the worst! I bet Uncle just force-fed you some elixirs! I don’t want to talk to you anymore!"
"Young—Young Miss!"
Lin Dang hurried after her, laden with bags, but paused when passing Gu Yan. She bowed slightly in apology.
"Sorry, Young Master. The young lady doesn’t mean any harm—she just has a temper."
"It’s fine. Kids will be kids."
Gu Yan waved it off.
Lin Dang gave him a grateful nod before rushing after Gu Yingying.
Gu Yunrou raised an eyebrow. "So patient? You’ve got the demeanor of a grandmaster."
"Heh. More like, ‘My brother has the potential of a grandmaster.’"
"…Is that some kind of meme?"
"Never mind. You wouldn’t get it. Let’s just catch up with that brat. Jianghai hasn’t been the safest lately."
……
……
On the other side of the commercial street—
"Ling’er-jie… Ling’er-jie, slow down!"
"Why did you even bring me here?"
"And… isn’t today a school day? Won’t your sister find out you skipped class?!"
Bai Qionglan stumbled along as Leng Ling’er, her dyed-blonde hair bouncing, dragged her forward. Still grieving over her brother’s arrest, she couldn’t fathom why Ling’er had pulled her out of school.
Leng Ling’er didn’t stop walking but glanced back. "Qionglan, what are you talking about? You’ve been so down—how could I focus on studying? Of course I had to take you out!"
Then, as if suddenly remembering the risk of getting caught, she slowed down and clutched her chest dramatically.
"Phew… good thing we didn’t run into anyone we know. If my sister found out, I’d be dead meat."
Bai Qionglan shuddered at the thought of Leng Ling’er’s terrifying older sister. But realizing Ling’er had risked so much just to cheer her up, she was deeply moved.
"Ling’er-jie… thank you. Really, thank you."
Tears welling up, she buried her face in Leng Ling’er’s shoulder.
Sniff… sniff…
Ling’er-jie, you smell so nice…
Big bro, thanks for getting arrested~
"Hey, what are sisters for?"
Leng Ling’er patted Bai Qionglan’s head reassuringly.
When Bai Qionglan had stopped coming to school, she’d dug around and learned her brother had been arrested—something serious, apparently.
Leng Ling’er’s reaction?
Absolutely unacceptable.
She’d immediately skipped class to drag Bai Qionglan out.
The self-proclaimed "Wild Child of Jianghai" was determined to cheer up her bestie.
She’d even saved up some pocket money—nowhere near as much as Gu Yan’s, but enough for the two of them to have fun!
At this thought, Leng Ling'er pushed Bai Qionglan aside and said eagerly, "Qionglan, I know this amazing bubble tea place."
"They’ve got arcade games and free Wi-Fi."
"You can just buy a drink and hang out there all day."
"But the line’s always crazy—like, one or two hours long. If we don’t hurry, we’ll miss out."
"Come on, let’s go—"
As she spoke, Leng Ling'er tugged Bai Qionglan forward.
But then—
"Ouch!"
Thud!
Leng Ling'er felt something bump into her.
She blinked, then looked down.
There, sprawled on the ground, was a girl dressed in Lolita fashion, her face as delicate as a porcelain doll.
The girl winced in pain, gritting her teeth as she lifted her head to see who had knocked her over.
When she spotted Leng Ling'er’s dyed blond hair,
Gu Yingying smirked disdainfully.
Oh~ So it’s just some wannabe delinquent.
Well, that’s fine. She’d already been in a foul mood because of Gu Yan.
Now her true colors showed.
"Watch where you’re going, idiot!"
"Do you even know who I am?"
"Help me up right now!"
Gu Yingying thrust out her hand, her tone haughty as she berated Leng Ling'er.
Hah, these types were all bark and no bite. Sure, her own skills were only at the level of a Third-rate Martial Artist,
but her aura alone should be enough to intimidate this nobody.
?
Leng Ling'er slowly tilted her head, staring blankly at Gu Yingying on the ground.
Wait…
Was she just… being disrespected? Yeah, she was definitely being disrespected.
Meanwhile, Bai Qionglan, seeing her idol insulted, felt her temper flare.
Back at Jianghai High, they’d been the most feared crew—the Leng Ling'er gang!
If not for Gu Yan, they wouldn’t have toned things down.
But now, even random nobodies thought they could mess with them?
"Hey, you—"
Bai Qionglan was about to snap back when Leng Ling'er stopped her.
With a smile, Leng Ling'er offered Gu Yingying a hand. "Ah, sorry about that. Here, let me help you up."
Gu Yingying, pleased by her submission, snorted like a victorious little peacock. "Good, you know your place! As a lowly blond nobody, remember not to mess with people out of your league!"
Hmph, this ordinary trash must’ve been scared stiff by my aura!
Just as she thought—
Thud!
"Ow!"
Gu Yingying, halfway up, suddenly found herself crashing back down as Leng Ling'er abruptly let go.
This time, it hurt even more.
"Ugh… You did that on purpose!"
Clutching her backside, Gu Yingying glared up, ready to demand an explanation—
Only to find Leng Ling'er crouching down, wearing a deceptively gentle smile.
Then—
Leng Ling'er’s smile vanished, replaced by the cold stare of a seasoned troublemaker. She pressed a hand against Gu Yingying’s head like a basketball and gave it a rough spin.
"Hey, hey, little girl, did no one teach you how to talk to people?"
"Spouting nonsense like ‘lowly nobody’—guess I’ll have to educate you in place of your parents."
Gu Yingying’s eyes glazed over in shock.
Wait… What’s with this person?
Does she not know who I am?
I’m Gu Yingying!
An internationally acclaimed prodigy!
Gritting her teeth, Gu Yingying grabbed Leng Ling'er’s wrist and snarled, "Let go of me!"
"No one’s ever dared to talk to me like this!!!"
Leng Ling'er smirked. "Well, now they have. And that person is me."
"For the next few years, you’ll be living in my shadow! Remember the name of the one who put you in your place—Leng! Ling'er!"
Gu Yingying: !!!
What kind of cringy line is that?! How can she say it with a straight face?!
Before Gu Yingying could muster her martial arts skills, however—
Bonk!
"Yowch!"
Leng Ling'er flicked Gu Yingying’s forehead hard.
Tears welled up as Gu Yingying clutched her head, glaring furiously. She wanted to retaliate, but…
An unfamiliar wave of frustration overwhelmed her. "Y-You… Waaah… No one’s ever treated me like this… Waaahhh!!! I’m telling my brother on you!!!"
"Your brother? Pfft—"
"I’ve got a brother-in-law too."
Leng Ling'er stood up, scoffing at the threat.
Then—
"Young miss!"
Lin Dang’s panicked voice rang out.
Followed by—
"Tsk tsk, crying from a little trip? Did you faceplant on flat ground?"
Gu Yan’s teasing voice joined in.
And suddenly—
Four pairs of eyes met.
Leng Ling'er: "........"
Gu Yan: "........."
] [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!"
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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)
n Our Village Many years later, Xiushui Village had transformed from a remote, impoverished hamlet into the renowned and flourishing Xiushui City of the Shifang Continent. All of this, solely because it was the birthplace of the Shifang Continent's number one sect—the Lingxian Sect. This is the story of a group of village youths, family, and friends, building a sect and growing together. Lin Xiao: As the sect master, my days are filled with countless tasks. Cultivating really gets in the way of building the sect. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Congratulations, Host, on successfully activating the Auto-Cultivation Function] Lin Xiao: Oh no, we're out of spirit stones. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Sect Mission issued. Mission Reward: Spirit Stones xN] No one loves their host more profoundly than this System!
