An Awkward Encounter on the Commercial Street

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: "........."

Recommend Series

The Indulgent Billionaire Playboy: Starting Off as a Sugar Daddy to an Adorkable Female Top Student

The Indulgent Billionaire Playboy: Starting Off as a Sugar Daddy to an Adorkable Female Top Student

his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…

Life Simulation: I Caused the Female Sword Immortal to Regret Forever

Life Simulation: I Caused the Female Sword Immortal to Regret Forever

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"

To Harm the Righteous Path, I Had No Choice But to Make Games

To Harm the Righteous Path, I Had No Choice But to Make Games

th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"

Transmigrated into the Villain, My Inner Thoughts Were Overheard by the Female Lead

Transmigrated into the Villain, My Inner Thoughts Were Overheard by the Female Lead

. 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!"