"Honored guests and members of the press, as the newly appointed head of the Gu Family, I sincerely thank you all for being here today."
"Gu Corporation has always been the pride of our family. As its new leader, I will continue to uphold this legacy and responsibility!"
"I will ensure our company not only maintains its leading position in the market but also remains a model of social responsibility."
".................."
"........."
"I am fully aware that without an exceptional team, Gu Corporation would not be where it is today."
"During my tenure, I will wholeheartedly support our outstanding team, enhancing both leadership and execution."
"At the same time, we will attract the finest talent from around the world to jointly write a new chapter for Gu Corporation."
"My father once said that the Gu Family must not only inherit the past but also dare to innovate."
"I will keep this teaching close to heart, ensuring Gu Corporation stays true to its roots while embracing change to adapt to this rapidly evolving world."
"Today, I stand here not just as the head of the Gu Family but also as a companion and partner to the millions of Gu Corporation employees and collaborators."
"Our future is filled with challenges, but I firmly believe that as long as we stand united, no difficulty is insurmountable!"
"Thank you all."
Clap clap clap clap—!!!
The press conference venue erupted with thunderous applause.
Gu Yan, exuding calm and confidence, stepped away from the podium with steady strides.
Backstage.
"Tch."
The smile faded from Gu Yan's face as he slumped onto the sofa, looking exasperated.
The paperwork had been signed in the morning, and the press conference was held in the afternoon.
Seriously, old man... you really set up the whole package for me, huh?
What’s the rush? Why are you in such a hurry to pass the family business to me?
"Young Master, the Lord invited media outlets from all over the world."
"Without a doubt, you’ll be trending globally by tomorrow."
Old Gao smiled as he spoke.
Now, the entire world would know that Gu Yan had become the head of the Gu Family.
Gu Yan nodded. "Seems like my father had this grand spectacle planned all along, just waiting for me to sign."
But all talk aside—
Becoming the head of the Gu Family brought Gu Yan nothing but benefits.
After all... he’d have access to even more resources now.
Add to that the upcoming civilian martial arts group.
Heh. Interesting.
Just then—
Buzz buzz buzz~!
Gu Yan’s phone rang.
He answered.
Immediately, Leng Ling'er’s excited voice burst through: "Brother-in-law! You’re the head of the Gu Family now!"
"This is amazing! I can be a rich second-generation heiress now!!"
Gu Yan held the phone slightly away from his ear, sighing. "Hold on, since when weren’t you a rich second-gen?"
"Hehe, it’s not the same!"
"You little rascal, shouldn’t you be visiting your dear friend?"
"You mean Qiong Lan? She was discharged this morning. Oh, and are you free later? Do you wanna come see Sister?"
"Sister says she misses you."
As soon as the words left her mouth—
A softer voice chimed in from the side.
"Ling'er, don’t drag me into this..."
Ling'er coughed lightly. "Well, Brother-in-law, if you’re busy, I’ll just hang up now..."
Gu Yan wasn’t about to let that happen.
"Hey! Wait!" he called out.
The moment he heard Leng Qingqiu’s voice, his body instantly had a "Qingqiu reaction."
He couldn’t quite explain what it was, but Gu Yan knew—whenever Qingqiu was involved, everything else faded from his mind.
"I’ll be right there," he said firmly before hanging up.
Turning to Old Gao, he instructed, "Change of plans. Forget Hope Light Academy. Take me to the Leng Family."
"Wait, no—"
Gu Yan paused, muttering to himself, "Today’s Luo Ya’s first official day as principal, and You Xingxue and Mei Xue are starting as new instructors."
A thought seemed to strike him, and he patted Old Gao’s shoulder.
"Here’s the plan—you take me to the Leng Family, then you go to Hope Light Academy in my place."
"Perfect!"
Old Gao: "......But Young Master... Shouldn’t you attend such an important event yourself?"
Hearing this, Gu Yan had to set the record straight.
"No, no, Old Gao. You’re my secretary, my right-hand man, my most trusted confidant."
"In other words—you’re my voice when I’m not there!"
"I trust you to handle it."
Old Gao nodded. "Understood, Young Master."
At the end of the day, nothing mattered more to the Young Master than being with the Young Madam.
He had thought Gu Yan had changed after that day—the day he took the dagger from her.
But it seemed he’d been mistaken.
Old Gao felt relieved. This was the Gu Yan he knew—the one who never kept his distance.
Ah, should he address him as "Family Head" now?
......
.........
Leng Family residence.
The television played the live broadcast of Gu Yan’s succession as family head.
Leng Qingqiu and Leng Ling'er sat together on the living room sofa.
"Ling'er... Is he really coming?"
The moment she learned Gu Yan was on his way, an inexplicable tension surged in Leng Qingqiu’s chest.
Even though they were in a relationship—
Ever since that incident, it felt like a wall had been erected in her heart.
She didn’t know how to act around him anymore.
"Of course, Sis! Didn’t you say you wanted to see him?"
Ling'er nodded, hugging Qingqiu’s arm. "Brother-in-law hasn’t been visiting as often lately."
"He used to stay here all day, but now he only comes every few days."
"Now we know why—he was busy with the family succession."
"Once everything’s settled, he’ll probably start coming over like before, right?"
"What do you think, Sis?"
Qingqiu fell silent, unsure how to respond.
Every night, she had the same dream.
A dream of Gu Yan holding the dagger, becoming the true Night King.
The feeling was unbearable—it filled her with sorrow.
A sense of unease gnawed at her heart daily.
Though Gu Yan had visited just the other day—
And they had been as intimate as ever—she couldn’t shake the question:
Was he still the same Gu Yan?
The thought haunted her.
Most of all—what was his true purpose in taking the dagger?
Was it simply to avenge her?
Or... did he have another plan?
What was that plan? What was he going to do?
Qingqiu didn’t want to think about it. She only hoped—
That Gu Yan wouldn’t make a mistake.
That power was alluring, but it could bring ruin to those around him.
Suddenly—
Knock knock~!
The sound of the door echoed through the room.
Ling'er blinked, then beamed. "It must be Brother-in-law! He’s always so fast!"
She jumped up to answer it—
But then—
"No!"
"That’s not Gu Yan!!"
Leng Qingqiu stood up and blocked Leng Ling'er.
She opened her eyes, locking onto the presence behind the door with deadly focus.
It was an... unfamiliar aura of a grandmaster!!
] [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!"
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
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)
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
