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  • The Saintess Has A Showdown 183-184

    Chapter 183: First Place in the War Zone

    –Soul Prison Trial, Fourth Level, Tower of Heaven
    –Fourth Stage, 100th Floor

    The previous third level, the Dark Ages, was divided into three stages, lasting three sessions. The Tower of Heaven, however, was divided into four stages, lasting four sessions.

    Every 25 floors marked a new stage. Surviving spirit beasts could return to reality and recover, waiting for the next session to re-enter the trial.

    After four cycles, they had finally reached the final level, the summit of the Tower of Heaven!

    All remaining spirit beasts were transported to the starting point, a vast, empty, circular arena.

    The final ranking and rewards were determined by the order of defeat. As long as their team wasn’t completely wiped out, they had a chance to achieve a higher rank, earning valuable resources for their masters. Every spirit beast understood this.

    And then, the battle ended in an instant…

    All life melted away like butter, no spirit beast able to react, their end swift and absolute.

    Fortunately, having reached the fourth stage, there were no penalties for the Spirit Masters.

    Spirit Masters whose teams were eliminated in the first stage were frozen out of the trial for 20 sessions. Those eliminated in the second stage were frozen for 10 sessions. Those eliminated in the third received no penalty, but also no reward.

    And the spirit beasts that reached the fourth stage, not only wouldn’t hinder their masters, but they would also bring back substantial rewards, making their masters rejoice. Even being instantly defeated was worth it.

    She just didn’t know how the rankings were determined if everyone died simultaneously…

    The battle concluded, and only a single spirit beast remained in the arena.

    A woman with features as delicate as snow, her white hair shimmering like fireflies, her grayish-white eyes like those of someone with an eye disease, a disturbing and unsettling sight.

    Branches and leaves sprouted from her head, her icy antlers like a regal crown, her posture elegant, like a winter queen.

    And her slender, white legs, bent at the knees like a quadruped, added to her… unique charm.

    A legendary-rank White Flower Moon-Treading Deer!!!

    A legendary spirit beast, somehow having entered the Soul Prison Trial, slaughtering the other participants.

    It wouldn’t have been surprising if it had single-handedly conquered the entire trial.

    However, at this moment, this noble, cold, and beautiful deer woman was… stumped.

    She frowned at the massive ice coffin beside her. That Snow Monarch’s follower had actually stayed hidden inside, completely motionless for four entire sessions.

    After Gong Lianyue’s team had encountered the legendary being and been nearly wiped out in the first stage, the Frost Snow Woman had retreated into the Ice Coffin. No attack, no matter how powerful, could even scratch its surface.

    Even now, the legendary White Flower Moon-Treading Deer couldn’t find a way to break it.

    After all, that damned Snow Monarch possessed the legendary Eternal Holy Water, her cultivation level having surpassed the Sun and Moon Realm tens of thousands of years ago. It was an insurmountable foe for her, currently at the Dead Sea Stage.

    She couldn’t break the Snow Monarch’s ice.

    The little deer woman frowned, her mind racing.

    The rewards for the early levels of the Soul Prison Trial were mediocre, useless to a legendary being like herself. She needed to reach the later levels quickly. She couldn’t be held back by this.

    But if she didn’t deal with the Frost Snow Woman now, they would likely face each other again in the next session, this pointless cycle repeating endlessly.

    After a few minutes of hesitation, the little deer woman’s expression hardened, a decision made.

    “How annoying…”

    “Ptoo!”

    The little deer woman spat on the ice coffin, marking it with her aura, then glared at it.

    She wouldn’t forget this humiliation. She would have her revenge one day.

    The next second, the little deer woman dissolved into a puddle of water.

    She had committed suicide!

    Silence. Two hours passed. Just as the trial was about to end, the ice coffin opened slightly, and the Frost Snow Woman cautiously emerged, a small, ice-blue flower clutched in her hand.

    That legendary-rank spirit beast thought it had come in second, but it was actually third…

    Just before the Frost Snow Woman had entered the Ice Coffin, this little flower, carrying the Wrathful Saintess’s aura, had slipped in with her. The Ice Coffin completely isolated all external auras, so the White Flower Moon-Treading Deer hadn’t even known there was another spirit beast inside.

    [According to the rules, rankings are determined by the order of defeat. One of us has to die.]

    The Frost Snow Woman, after much gesturing and struggling to communicate, finally conveyed the rule to the little blue flower.

    The little blue flower nodded gratefully, then inexplicably withered and died.

    Looking at the lifeless flower, the Frost Snow Woman’s expression turned to confusion. She had been planning to decide the victor with a game of rock-paper-scissors.

    [Soul Prison Trial, Fourth Level, concluded. Congratulations on achieving first place in War Zone 1309. Reward: one Saint-Breaking Pill, one Heart Severing Pill.]
    [Soul Prison Trial, Fourth Level, concluded. Congratulations on achieving first place in War Zone 1309. Reward: one Saint-Breaking Pill, one Heart Severing Pill.]

    On the eve of the Ranking Battle, deep in meditation, Gong Lianyue was startled by the two consecutive announcements from the Soul Prison Trial, the sudden surge of spirit energy almost causing the Saintess Palace to collapse.

    She repeatedly checked her soul cores, making sure she hadn’t imagined it.

    The incredibly valuable Saint-Breaking Pill and Heart Severing Pill had already been delivered to her storage bracelet.

    Ten thousand Spirit Masters per war zone, a massive free-for-all, countless Saint-rank spirit beasts… and she had achieved first place, even though her entire team, besides the Frost Snow Woman, had been wiped out…?

    The Saint-Breaking Pill could evolve a high-rank spirit beast into a Saint-rank of a similar lineage, while the Heart Severing Pill could dissolve any number of spirit beast contracts, allowing her to release those useless early contracts.

    Both pills were incredibly rare and valuable, worth more than the entire Sea Concubine Palace. Still, as a reward for first place, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

    “What the hell? How did I get first place?”

    Gong Lianyue muttered, her mind still reeling, unable to believe it.

    First place in War Zone 1309… Didn’t that mean that every Spirit Master in the Sea Region, the Wind Realm, the Cangsheng Palace, the Sun-Seizing Divine Metropolis, even the distant Endless Swamp and the Azure Spirit Realm, had been defeated by the Frost Snow Woman?

    A Saint-Breaking Pill and a Heart Severing Pill… it was like winning the lottery, an absurdly fortunate encounter, even by the standards of wish-fulfillment novels. How had this happened to her?

    Regardless, the Ranking Battle was tomorrow. She would use the Saint-Breaking Pill first…

    Chapter 184: The Ranking Battle Begins

    The Sea Region Ranking Battle was held shortly after each Saintess selection, the interval varying depending on the circumstances.

    For example, Shui Yuerong of the Sea Concubine Palace, a thousand years ago, considered the strongest Saintess in the history of the Sea Region, had reached the Sun and Moon Realm in just two years, forcing the other Saintesses to abdicate.

    Legendary beings preferred young, delicate Spirit Masters. Sun and Moon Realm Spirit Masters were considered old women, no longer able to attract them with their scent.

    Therefore, once someone reached the Sun and Moon Realm, the Saintess selection would be held again, followed by the Ranking Battle.

    The longest interval between selections was eighty or ninety years, the shortest being less than two years, during Shui Yuerong’s time.

    The Sea Region Ranking Battle was a crucial event that determined the hierarchy of power within the Sea Region.

    The higher the ranking, the greater the allocation of resources and prestige.

    Almost all the Spirit Masters in the Sea Region would attend, even unaffiliated rogue cultivators, a grand spectacle.

    Those who excelled in this competition, under the watchful eyes of all, would gain immense fame and prestige, becoming the undisputed leader of the Sea Region.

    Sea Region, Ranking Battle

    A massive arena, large enough to cover the entire visible sea, carried by countless giant spirit beasts from the Winter Floating Sky, slowly rose from the depths of the ocean.

    This arena, built specifically for the Ranking Battle, was far larger and more impressive than the Sea Concubine Palace’s Sea Dou Hall.

    The Water Heart Stage, kept by the current ruling faction of the Sea Region.

    As the Water Heart Stage rose, it created massive waves, the surrounding sea churning for hundreds of kilometers.

    Its massive size accommodated not only the millions of spectators but also the large spirit beasts that would be participating.

    The Sea Concubine Palace’s representatives were gathered inside a Sea Halberd Behemoth, waiting in their designated area.

    The Sea Region Ranking Battle consisted of three parts: Duels, Tests, and the Final Battle.

    [Duels] were 1v1 matches held in the arena. Victory earned points, defeat lost points. Each faction had five opportunities to challenge other factions, and only Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters could participate.

    [Tests] consisted of five randomly selected challenges from a list including strength, speed, spirit energy capacity, talent, cultivation technique, intelligence, reflexes, etc. Each faction chose a Spirit Master for each test, earning points based on their ranking.

    [Final Battle] was the most important part of the Ranking Battle, where the most points could be earned.

    Each faction selected five Spirit Masters to enter a secret realm and engage in a chaotic free-for-all against other factions. The final victor received a massive amount of points.

    The most important rule was that each Spirit Master could only participate in one event, including the Saintess. Once they participated in one, they couldn’t participate in another.

    Therefore, lower-ranked factions usually focused on earning points in the first two events, forfeiting the Final Battle, hoping to avoid last place.

    Those aiming for the top, however, would focus all their efforts on the Final Battle, saving their trump cards for the end.

    This meant that each faction would select their fifteen strongest Dead Sea Stage Spirit Masters to represent them.

    After the rules were explained by the higher-ups of each faction, the participants were quickly assigned, their roles fixed.

    [Sea Concubine Palace – Sorrowful Saintess, participating in the Final Battle.]

    The Sea Concubine Palace was serious…

    The other factions’ Spirit Masters, upon seeing the Sea Concubine Palace’s participant list, became apprehensive.

    This was the first time in recent history that the Sea Concubine Palace had sent their Saintess to the Final Battle. They had always focused on the first two rounds, accumulating points steadily.

    However, this Sorrowful Saintess’s reputation was simply too terrifying. Not sending her to the final, decisive battle would be… strange.

    This also meant that the other factions wouldn’t likely take the first two rounds seriously.

    —

    Water Heart Stage

    The Water Heart Stage, having been stored away for several years, was retrieved from the depths of the ocean, its surface pristine and shimmering, like a magnificent crystal palace.

    Spirit Masters from various factions began to arrive, not only from the Sea Region Alliance but also from their subsidiary forces.

    For example, smaller factions like the Water Immortal Palace, the Sky Surge River, and the Drowning Sea, or independent rogue cultivators, affiliated with the Sea Region Alliance but not qualified to participate, were here to simply observe and enjoy the spectacle.

    “Did you hear? The Sorrowful Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace will be participating in the Final Battle,” a Spirit Master from a smaller faction said, barely having taken her seat.

    “The Winter Floating Sky, the Ice Shield Palace, the Sea Concubine Palace, and the Cold Court… their main forces are all in the Final Battle. They’re probably targeting the Pool of Hidden Secrets, right…?”

    “Yeah, I don’t care who becomes the Alliance leader, whether it’s the Winter Floating Sky or the Sea Concubine Palace, but if the Pool of Hidden Secrets wins… it will be chaos!”

    “That Nether Empress… I bet she’ll provoke another legendary spirit beast and bring disaster upon the Sea Region!!”

    “…”
    “…”

    A wave of unease rippled through the crowd. They each had their preferred factions, but now, they all shared a single hope: that the Pool of Hidden Secrets wouldn’t win.

    Please don’t let the Pool of Hidden Secrets win.jpg

    Meanwhile, in the Pool of Hidden Secrets’ waiting area…

    Fifteen black-haired female Spirit Masters sat in silence, the oppressive aura radiating from them almost suffocating.

    The woman at the front, a single teardrop painted on her forehead, her expression cold and indifferent, her chilling aura so powerful that no one dared to look directly at her.

    Hei Luelan, disciple of the Nether Empress.

    Her aura was even more terrifying than the Nine Nethers’, her dense spirit energy like that of a being from another world.

    This was far beyond the level of a Dead Sea Stage Spirit Master…

    As the Ranking Battle approached, Hei Luelan discreetly glanced at her companions, then tightened her grip on a single white hair in her hand, recalling the Nether Empress’s words.

    “Do you know? Legendary beings can sense every part of themselves, whether it’s a drop of blood, a strand of hair, or even a drop of saliva. They might even come looking for it.”

  • The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated 510

    Chapter 510: “There’s No Room for a Third Person.”

    Elven Homeland, Tree House.

    When Shien returned with Millu, before they even entered, Carol, who had been anxiously pacing outside, silently excused herself.

    Having guessed Lid’s identity, this vice-commander was undoubtedly worried about the Elven Queen and went to check on the situation.

    Shien ignored her and entered the tree house with Millu, seeing the others gathered in the living room, waiting for him.

    “You’re finally back?”

    Lucy, sitting there, looked at Shien entering and sighed for some reason.

    “Welcome back, Mr. Shien.”

    Lasha’s indifferent demeanor reminded Shien of the time he didn’t come home at night, and his expression turned awkward.

    “Thud!”

    Lilith, without a word, immediately pounced into Shien’s arms, hugging him tightly, her face showing both relief and grievance.

    “Sorry, sorry, I made you worry.”

    Shien, feeling heartbroken, patted her head and comforted her.

    Everyone had been waiting for Shien’s return and was finally relieved.

    Only Airi didn’t have the energy to pay attention to Shien.

    Because…

    “Airi! Airi!”

    Millu’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Airi, letting out the loudest cheer yet, then, like Lilith, pounced on her.

    “It’s really you!”

    Airi, seemingly having anticipated Millu’s arrival, sighed and tried to dodge, but she couldn’t avoid Millu’s pounce.

    Millu hugged Airi tightly, rubbing her face against hers and cheering happily.

    “Airi! Airi!”

    Millu’s joyful laughter filled the tree house.

    That laughter was infectious.

    However, seeing this unfamiliar little girl suddenly hugging Airi, making her look displeased, everyone was still startled.

    “Could this be…!?”

    Lucy’s eyes widened in surprise.

    “…”

    Lasha also looked at Millu, silent, her eyes lowered.

    “?”

    Lilith tilted her head, confused.

    Especially seeing Airi’s unwilling expression, yet unable to resist Millu’s hug and nuzzling, everyone’s surprise was evident.

    If there were others here, they would definitely be shocked.

    Airi, the Dragon Demon, one of the Six Demon Lords, known as the most ferocious being, was being hugged tightly by a little girl, seemingly displeased, yet unable to resist. This scene could definitely leave anyone stunned.

    Shien, however, looked as if he had expected this.

    “As expected, this girl is a Demon Lord.”

    Yes.

    Millu was a Demon Lord.

    In other words, this seemingly innocent, naive, and romantic little girl was the sister of Airi, Sara, and Lid.

    Lucy murmured in surprise,

    “Millu Peshi, the Ghost Demon…”

    —”Millu Peshi.”

    This was Millu’s real name.

    Millu was just a nickname.

    The same went for Lid, who had been using a nickname. Her real name hadn’t been revealed yet.

    “Airi! Airi! Airi!”

    Millu hugged Airi tightly, like a beloved toy, chanting her name happily.

    Airi, on the other hand, was displeased with Millu’s actions.

    “Alright, stop it.” Airi said with annoyance. “Getting so excited every time you see your sister, how lonely are you?”

    “Yes, yes!” Millu nodded repeatedly, looking pitiful. “Millu, lonely, Airi, always gone.”

    The little girl looked aggrieved.

    Unfortunately, Airi, with her heart of stone, wasn’t moved by this at all.

    “Cut it out.” Airi saw through Millu’s act. “You’re always with Lid. How could you be lonely?”

    Others might not know, but Airi knew very well.

    Millu always had Lid by her side, never acting alone.

    The reason was simple: this Ghost Demon’s mind wasn’t mature. Like a spoiled child, she rarely had her own judgment or principles.

    If someone dangled a lollipop in front of her, this Ghost Demon would definitely follow them, easily deceived, and potentially causing a huge disaster.

    Therefore, no one would let Millu act alone.

    And Lid, if she acted alone, once she entered a battle, would become incredibly dangerous.

    Therefore, these two sisters, one girl and one beast, had been together for more than ten thousand years, always acting together. One usually restrained her power, appearing weaker and under Millu’s protection for convenience, while the other acted according to Lid’s instructions, preventing them from going off track and causing trouble.

    Under such circumstances, Millu always had Lid by her side and couldn’t possibly be lonely.

    Of course…

    “It’s different.” Millu said seriously, “Lid is older sister, Airi is younger sister.”

    “What’s the difference?” Airi retorted, “They’re both accompanying you. Isn’t it the same whether it’s an older or younger sister?”

    “Mmm…” Millu puffed out her cheeks and protested, “Different, different.”

    “Sigh…” Airi said with a headache, “Always being difficult. Who’s the older sister, and who’s the younger sister?”

    The two sisters, reunited after a long separation, started bickering.

    It was quite an amusing sight, making Shien watch with interest.

    “Hiss~~~”

    Suddenly, a sharp pain in his waist made Shien gasp.

    “You…”

    Lucy had come to Shien’s side at some point, pinching the flesh on his waist angrily.

    “What are you doing?”

    Shien complained.

    But this was met with Lucy’s glare.

    “I should be the one asking, what have you been doing?” Lucy asked in a low but aggressive voice, “What did you do? Why are you with the Ghost Demon? Why is she here? What happened?”

    Lucy bombarded him with questions.

    Millu’s appearance had clearly made the princess anxious.

    “Well, it’s a long story.”

    Shien didn’t know how to explain.

    Could he say that he met her by chance while bathing?

    That would be ridiculous!

    “Then make it short!”

    Lucy didn’t let Shien off the hook.

    The couple started bickering, attracting Lilith’s attention.

    None of the three noticed that Millu, who was clinging to Airi, suddenly glanced at Lasha, who was standing there expressionlessly, and her innocent smile froze, her body trembling, as if stunned.

    “Millu…?”

    Airi noticed this, her expression turning serious, a bad feeling rising in her heart.

    Millu just stared blankly at Lasha, not reacting at all.

    Looking at Millu like this, Lasha, unusually, didn’t bow, but just stared at her, then reached out and patted Millu’s head.

    This action not only stunned Airi, but also caused Millu’s emotions to erupt.

    “Waaah…”

    Millu burst into tears.

    “Huh?”

    “What?”

    Shien and Lucy, who had been bickering, finally noticed this and looked at the crying Millu, dumbfounded.

    “This…”

    Even Airi was at a loss.

    Lasha, however, remained unmoved, gently stroking Millu’s head, as if comforting her silently.

    This development silenced the entire tree house.

    Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

    This scene lasted for an unknown amount of time.

    Until a faint voice came,

    “Alright, Millu, stop crying.”

    With this voice, the fluffy and mysterious little beast appeared in the treehouse.

    “Huh?”

    Lilith blinked her eyes.

    “Y-you… you’re…!?”

    Lucy was shocked, her expression changing drastically.

    “Sister Lid…”

    Airi turned her gaze to Lid.

    As for Lasha, she stopped what she was doing, looked at Lid, and finally knelt down.

    “Lasha greets Your Highness Liddoma.”

    Lasha, just like when she first met Sara and Airi, bowed respectfully to Lid.

    “…Get up, don’t kneel.”

    Lid looked at Lasha with a complicated expression, then said with an impassive face, a slight tremor in her voice.

    “Yes.”

    Lasha obeyed, like a humble maid, but her expression remained indifferent.

    “Lid…”

    Millu, her face streaked with tears, turned to Lid as if seeing a lifeline.

    Lid sighed and turned her gaze to Shien.

    “Millu and I will be staying here for a while.” Lid said to Shien, “Is that alright?”

    Shien frowned, his gaze sweeping over Airi, Millu, Lid, and Lasha, then he relaxed his expression and shrugged.

    “This isn’t my territory. Why are you asking me?”

    In other words, do as you please, no need to tell him.

    “Alright.” Lid didn’t stand on ceremony and said to Airi, “We’ll share a room. Tell me everything. What’s going on?”

    “…What are you referring to?” Airi’s tone was distant.

    This naturally earned her a glare from Lid.

    “Of course, I’m referring to when you woke up, when you came to the human world, and why you’ve been messing around here for so long!” Lid snorted. “You better tell me everything that happened after you came to the human world!”

    “Why?” Airi still protested. “I’m not Millu. I don’t need to be questioned about everything I do, do I?”

    “Do you really think so?” Lid narrowed her eyes. “Do you want to have a family meeting and see?”

    Airi immediately shut up.

    That would definitely be a bad thing for her.

    Because this so-called family meeting was a gathering of the six Demon Lord sisters to discuss matters.

    If that happened, regardless of the outcome, during the process, she, as the youngest sister, would definitely be the one being picked on.

    In the past family meetings, Airi had always been the one at a disadvantage.

    These plastic sisters always played this trick. It was hateful.

    Especially Lid, who loved using this to suppress her younger sisters.

    Speaking of this, it was necessary to mention the order of the six Demon Lord sisters.

    Firstly, Sara was undoubtedly the eldest sister, the firstborn.

    The second eldest was the Charm Demon, second only to Sara among the six sisters, considered the second-in-command of the Demon Race.

    Then there was Lid, the third eldest, with three younger sisters.

    The Poison Demon was the fourth.

    Millu, the Ghost Demon, was the fifth.

    And finally, there was Airi, the youngest, the baby of the six sisters.

    And as everyone knew, the youngest sister had no rights. Airi always felt that she was being persecuted by her five older sisters.

    Which older sisters would take turns using their younger sister as a body pillow, refusing to sleep without hugging her?

    Which older sisters would force their younger sister to bathe with them and always touch her inappropriately?

    Which older sisters would treat their younger sister like a doll, always wanting to play dress-up?

    Which older sisters would interrogate their younger sister about everything she did, treating her like a pet, always keeping her at home?

    Airi had them!

    And she had five of them!

    Even Millu was persecuting her!

    Therefore, Airi had become a bit rebellious, not wanting to listen to her sisters at all.

    However, if Shien knew about this, he would definitely say without hesitation,

    “Is this persecution? This is clearly the doting of a group of siscons!”

    This was the truth.

    However, Airi would never think this way.

    Therefore, Airi could only resist.

    “I don’t want to share a room with you.”

    The youngest sister, rebelling online.

    “Oh?” Lid seemed used to this and said nonchalantly, “Give me a reason.”

    Airi really wanted to say that there was no reason, she just didn’t want to.

    But she also knew that if she said that, she would be seen as a spoiled child and be ruthlessly suppressed.

    Lid knew very well that Airi hated being treated like a child.

    Under such circumstances, as long as Airi didn’t give a reasonable excuse, she would definitely be provoked by Lid and forced to accept sharing a room.

    Knowing this routine, Airi racked her brains.

    After a while, Airi seemed to have an idea and turned her gaze to Shien.

    “…”

    Sensing Airi’s gaze, Shien’s lips twitched.

    A sense of foreboding, a premonition of impending doom, suddenly arose in his heart.

    And the next moment, Airi’s words confirmed his premonition.

    “I’ll stay with that man.”

    Airi pointed at Shien and said loudly,

    “We always share a room. There’s no room for a third person.”

    The air instantly froze.

    Shien felt his vision darken, a single word appearing in his mind.

    That word was—”Danger.”

  • Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 122

    Chapter 122: Kiss, Kiss, Kiss

    “Now… do you understand what kind of ‘like’ I mean?”

    Their lips, which had been lightly touching, parted slightly as Mi Hongdou spoke. But their foreheads still touched, their bodies still intertwined, their arms around each other as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

    Ji Junxin’s tears had stopped during their passionate, almost accidental first kiss. Now, Mi Hongdou’s warm breath on her cheek sent shivers down her spine. Even though they had just kissed, her mind still hazy, that warm breath rekindled the desire, and Ji Junxin, her head lowered, quickly licked her lips.

    “What, you still don’t understand?” Mi Hongdou gently tightened her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist.

    Ji Junxin, already weak and pliant from the kiss, swayed slightly with Mi Hongdou’s movement. Leaning back was fine, but leaning forward meant practically falling onto Mi Hongdou. She squirmed slightly, embarrassed.

    Mi Hongdou, thinking that her embrace was too tight, loosened her grip.

    The comforting warmth disappeared, and Ji Junxin bit her lip, a little unhappy. But asking for another kiss, another embrace, so soon, wouldn’t that be too… forward?

    So, Mi Hongdou, waiting for an answer, watched as Ji Junxin, who had just been a soft, pliant mess, slowly lifted her head, blinked her teary eyes, let out a soft “hmph,” and then, pouting slightly, asked, “If you’ve always liked me, why didn’t you tell me?”

    This was a dangerous question, one that could easily ruin everything!

    “Because… I… wanted to pursue you… but I hadn’t had the chance…” Mi Hongdou chose the most plausible truth from her tangled thoughts.

    And then she watched as Ji Junxin’s face turned redder and redder, her gaze darting around.

    She wasn’t happy with this answer? It was the most honest answer she could give…

    Just as Mi Hongdou started to panic, Ji Junxin, fiddling with her clothes, her gaze averted, whispered, “Then… wasn’t I… too forward… just now…” Was it too impulsive, too immodest?

    “No… no, no…” Mi Hongdou, seeing Ji Junxin’s eyes watering again, quickly reassured her. “Not at all. It’s… wonderful… if you hadn’t said anything, I don’t know how long I would have waited. It’s wonderful, you’re… wonderful.”

    Mi Hongdou rambled, not even knowing what she was saying. Fortunately, her words seemed to have calmed Ji Junxin down.

    Relieved, Mi Hongdou chuckled, “They say after a confession, you’re supposed to be all lovey-dovey, but we’re just… asking questions…”

    Ji Junxin glared at her playfully. “Well, you weren’t the one who confessed.”

    Didn’t my earlier words count as a confession? Mi Hongdou thought, then, seeing Ji Junxin’s slightly arrogant expression, her heart softened. She, who had lived two lifetimes, had actually been the one being confessed to…

    Ji Junxin’s hand, which had been nervously fiddling with her clothes, was suddenly held by Mi Hongdou. The warm, soft touch made her shiver slightly, but she didn’t pull away, just letting Mi Hongdou hold her hand.

    “I like you very much, very, very much. If possible, can you give me a chance to… take care of you? Be with…” Before Mi Hongdou could finish, Ji Junxin was already nodding, and Mi Hongdou felt a pang of bittersweetness in her heart. I was so blind, when did she start liking me, how long has she been struggling with it… She could write a book about the struggles of having a crush on a girl. And the thought that she had been so oblivious, making Ji Junxin also go through this, made her heart ache.

    Although Ji Junxin had already agreed, Mi Hongdou still finished her sentence. “Be with… me?”

    The answer, naturally, was yes.

    Mi Hongdou, her eyes slightly red, pulled Ji Junxin into her arms.

    Just like this, just holding her like this…

    “The cockroach… we’ve been in here too long…” Ji Junxin mumbled against Mi Hongdou’s shoulder, wiping away her tears. “We should go out.”

    Oh… damn it!

    “But I haven’t asked you when you started liking me, what you like about me…” Although she knew they had to leave, Mi Hongdou tightened her embrace, reluctant. “I still have so many questions…”

    Ji Junxin squirmed slightly, her body pliant in Mi Hongdou’s arms, but her voice firm. “We’re together now, what’s the point of asking so many questions? Should I tell you what I like, so you can change?”

    What the hell!

    Mi Hongdou, amused and exasperated, released her. “Do you think I’m that stupid?”

    “Hmph.” Ji Junxin turned, one hand on the shower door handle, the other pointing at her slippers on the floor outside. “You kill it later.”

    “You’re acting spoiled,” Mi Hongdou said, placing her hand over Ji Junxin’s and stopping her from opening the door. “You’re so cute when you’re like this, do you know that?”

    I don’t want to know!

    Her supposedly grand confession had turned into a teary, whispered one, how embarrassing, and now Mi Hongdou was calling her cute… I’m not cute! I’m leaving!

    “One more kiss…”

    Mi Hongdou’s soft whisper stopped Ji Junxin.

    Ji Junxin slowly turned around, her face flushed, a “what can I do with you” expression, and nodded slightly.

    Then…

    Then neither of them moved.

    They stared at each other…

    Ji Junxin was stunned. Did she mean… I should kiss her? No way! I’m not playing anymore!

    That “I can’t do anything with you” expression, the shy nod, the widening eyes, all so cute! How can she be so adorable!

    Mi Hongdou, who had been enjoying Ji Junxin’s expressions, noticed that she was about to flee.

    “Hey…” She stopped Ji Junxin’s hand and closed the shower door. “Don’t go yet…”

    “The viewers will think our bathroom is infested with cockroaches…” Ji Junxin said, shuddering at the thought.

    “But there aren’t any,” Mi Hongdou reassured her.

    “Hmph.” Ji Junxin wasn’t appeased.

    Although reluctant to leave, Mi Hongdou knew that if they didn’t go out soon, the crew would come knocking.

    A reality show where you can’t even show affection, what kind of reality show is that, hmph!

    “What are you doing…” Ji Junxin gently pushed Mi Hongdou away as she leaned closer.

    “One more kiss,” Mi Hongdou said, putting her arm around Ji Junxin’s waist and pulling her closer.

    Ji Junxin’s hand was still on Mi Hongdou’s chest, but she didn’t push her away.

    Unlike her earlier impulsive kiss, this time, as Mi Hongdou slowly approached, before their lips even touched, Ji Junxin’s heart pounded.

    Mi Hongdou was also nervous, but this nervousness was overshadowed by the thought that once they left, she wouldn’t be able to touch Ji Junxin like this, and by Ji Junxin’s adorable expression. Beauty emboldens the heart.

    Just a spark, and the dry kindling ignited…

    No more guessing or testing, only need and desire.

    The initial touch was hesitant, then, as the warmth spread, igniting them both, an eager invasion met with a passionate response, their love conveyed in their mingled breaths…

    A soft moan, a body melting, a heart pounding, they clung to each other, wanting more.

    As if nothing else mattered, only the desire…

    “Jun… Junxin…” Mi Hongdou, her voice breathless, clung to the last shred of her rationality, then grabbed Ji Junxin’s hand. “Your… your hand…”

    Ji Junxin, leaning against the glass wall for support, her eyes hazy, followed Mi Hongdou’s gaze.

    And then, the earlier passion instantly cooled.

    “I…” She quickly retracted her hand, which, she hadn’t even realized, had been gripping Mi Hongdou’s breast, and darted out of the shower like a startled rabbit.

    That soft feeling… I don’t remember it… and my hand… it wasn’t me! Ji Junxin, her face burning, stood outside the shower, not knowing what to do with her hands and feet.

    Mi Hongdou: …She was the one who touched me!

    An awkward silence lingered.

    “I’ll… go out first, you continue with your shower,” Mi Hongdou said, finally recovering, grabbing her slippers and going to the door. She knocked a few times and said loudly, “Hmph, I can’t even hit you!” Then she went to the toilet and flushed it, although she didn’t need to use it.

    Ji Junxin shivered slightly. Was she angry because I… touched her?

    Mi Hongdou, unaware of Ji Junxin’s thoughts, thinking that Ji Junxin was embarrassed because she had called her out, said, “I’ll… go out now…”

    Ji Junxin nodded slightly, fiddling with her clothes.

    Mi Hongdou washed her face, trying to cool down, then, annoyed with this reality show, returned to her room.

    She had to put on her bedsheets. As she did, her face felt warm again. The shape of the bunched-up blanket reminded her of… Ji Junxin’s hand on her… earlier…

    Mi Hongdou’s earlier interruption had mostly been due to the time and place… she didn’t think that… that itself was inappropriate.

    But Ji Junxin, who seemed so soft and innocent… why had she… initiated it? Something felt… off.

    While Mi Hongdou was making her bed, Ji Junxin, in the bathroom, was gently touching the hand that had just… misbehaved.

    Was I… too hasty? We just got together. But… it wasn’t my intention!

    It’s all Mi Hongdou’s fault, wanting another kiss, and another, and another… until I lost control!

    It’s all her fault!

    But…

    So soft…

    The uniform is a bit thick…

    Annoying…

  • Malicious Female Lead’s Guide to Causing Trouble [Quick Transmigration] 61p3

    Chapter Sixty-One p3

    In the bathtub, ripples spread in the water.

    Yu Zhao’s sharp ears heard the sound of something falling outside the screen, and she couldn’t help but frown and say: “Bo Chi?”

    Bo Chi hummed, seemingly feeling very uncomfortable, and called out in a daze: “Ah Zhao…“

    Yu Zhao’s heart tightened, afraid that something had happened to her, she immediately stood up from the water, put on her inner garment, and walked out from behind the screen.

    The room was still the same, the only difference was that Bo Chi was no longer playing around, but lying crookedly on the bed, one foot on the wall, the other on the head of the bed, her hand holding the pinwheel falling on the edge of the bed, now loosened, the pinwheel falling to the ground, and her other hand pulling open her collar, revealing a large expanse of fair skin, moaning softly: “Ah Zhao…“

    Yu Zhao’s steps faltered, and for a moment, she didn’t dare to go over. Her intuition told her that if she took a step, she would do something irreversible.

    However, Bo Chi kept calling her, her voice like sugar, sweet, soft, and unbearable.

    Yu Zhao stood there, until the water on her body turned cold, before hesitantly taking a step, walking to the bedside and asking: “You… what’s wrong with you?“

    Bo Chi’s eyes were unfocused, and she repeated her words foolishly: “What’s wrong with me?“

    Yu Zhao rubbed her temples and tentatively touched her face.

    Good, it was finally no longer as cold as before, and had some warmth.

    But this warmth was obviously too much for Bo Chi.

    Her consciousness was hazy, and she pulled at her clothes randomly. Yu Zhao held her hands down, and she rubbed against Yu Zhao’s body like a cat in heat.

    Yu Zhao’s forehead gradually became sweaty, and she could tell that she had been drugged. Although she didn’t understand when the other party had been taken advantage of, there was no time to think about this now, the most important thing was to relieve the effects of the drug.

    Yu Zhao took a deep breath, carried the girl behind the screen, and put her into the bathtub.

    The water in the bathtub had almost cooled down, and logically speaking, it should be able to stop the girl’s drug-induced state.

    However, after soaking for a long time, Bo Chi still whimpered and rubbed against her, without any signs of calming down.

    Did she really have to help her personally?

    Yu Zhao froze, unable to make a decision.

    She was hesitating, while Bo Chi was so hot that she couldn’t breathe. After becoming a ghost, when she encountered this kind of dry heat, it would be especially unbearable and painful.

    She couldn’t bear it and raised her hand from the water, grabbed Yu Zhao’s wrist, and pulled her all the way down.

    Yu Zhao pursed her lips, still struggling in her heart, but her eyes were fixed on Bo Chi, watching the girl raise her head, revealing her snow-white and fragile neck, and actively pressing her body against her palm.

    Touching the girl’s smooth and soft skin, the taut string in Yu Zhao’s mind suddenly snapped.

    She lowered her head, kissed the girl’s bright red lips, stepped into the bathtub, and hugged the girl intimately.

    **

    Jin Xi wandered outside for a long time, and finally came back near midnight.

    She held a pile of things, came to the door happily, pushed… and couldn’t push it open?

    Jin Xi was stunned, thinking that she hadn’t used enough force, so she put the things on the ground, and pushed the door hard with both hands – still couldn’t push it open.

    She was confused, and simply knocked on the door instead.

    There were people in the room, and knowing that the two sisters heard the sound, they would definitely come and open the door for her… right?

    Jin Xi’s certainty wavered as she knocked for a long time without any results. What was even stranger was that she seemed to hear some strange sounds coming from the room.

    Jin Xi put her ear against the door with a strange look, listened carefully, and heard a few scattered words.

    “Mmm… Ah Zhao, Ah Zhao, my heart is so hot, kiss me…“

    “And here, here is also so hot…“

    “Ah Zhao… I like you so much…“

    “Ah, you bit me, wuu… I don’t like you anymore!“

    Jin Xi: “Hiss——!!“

    Just hearing these few words, Jin Xi’s face flushed red, and she quickly moved away from the door as if she had been burned.

    Her pupils shook, and various thoughts popped up in her mind, finally condensing into one sentence – It seemed that Master Exorcist had finally been captured by Sister Chi Niang.

    This was really… really too exciting!

    Jin Xi was even more ashamed than the two people involved, and hurriedly ran downstairs with her things.

    She had just refunded the next room this morning, and now she went back to open it again dejectedly. The innkeeper looked at her as if she was a patient with a serious illness, but she was still in shock.

    It was too scary.

    In the future, when staying at an inn with those two sisters, she would definitely get two rooms!!

    The night passed, and the sky was slightly bright, with crimson clouds spreading across the horizon.

    Bo Chi’s eyelashes trembled, and she woke up from her daze, surprised to find Yu Zhao sitting by the bed, wearing an inner garment, staring at the peach wood sword in her hand in a daze.

    She yawned, half-sat up and leaned against her back, and muttered: “Why did you wake up so early? And you’re still staring at the peach wood sword…“

    Yu Zhao had never used a peach wood sword in the previous worlds, so when Bo Chi said this, she suddenly realized that she was still in the exorcist world, and immediately became more alert, sat up straight, and said in shock: “What happened last night?“

    She clearly drugged Yu Zhao, so why was it her who had a problem?

    And did the drug have such a long delay?

    She put it in the bowl in the morning, and it only took effect at night?!

    This was outrageous!

    Bo Chi asked Yu Zhao with a head full of questions, but Yu Zhao thought that she didn’t know who the culprit was either. After a moment of silence, she said: “You were drugged with an aphrodisiac. I put you in the water last night, and seeing that the drug’s effect didn’t dissipate, I could only… take your body.“

    “I was wrong to do this.” She stood up straight, turned around, knelt down on one knee, offered the peach wood sword in her hand, and said in a flat tone: “Miss Bo, whether you want to kill or beat me, Yu Zhao will accept it.“

    Bo Chi blinked, blinked again, and tentatively said: “I won’t kill you, I just want you to take responsibility. Since you touched me, you have to marry me, and we will love each other without doubt.“

    Yu Zhao’s hand holding the sword tightened slightly, and after a while, she shook her head: “This is not possible.“

    Bo Chi’s eyes widened, and she said angrily with some guilt: “Why not? Do you want to eat and run?“

    “No.” Yu Zhao denied it very quickly, and said frankly: “I was originally the daughter of the Yu family in the capital. Ten years ago, all 137 people in my family were killed by a ghost. Because I switched identities with my maid and went out to play on the street, I was spared.“

    “In these ten years, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to become an exorcist, and I have been looking for the ghost that killed my whole family. A while ago, I found it and seriously injured it.” Yu Zhao lowered her eyes: “I expect that soon, it will definitely come looking for revenge. At that time, I can’t even protect myself, let alone my wife.“

    “So…” Yu Zhao said seriously: “I can’t be with Miss Bo. I hope that after Miss Bo punishes me, you will forget about last night.“

    Bo Chi listened for a long time, and after she finished speaking, she raised her eyebrows: “That’s it?“

    Yu Zhao was stunned, looked up at her, and saw that her black hair was messy, her snow-white neck was covered with red marks, but there was a smile on her face, and she said fearlessly: “I’m not afraid of any ghosts, I just want to be with you. I have sincere feelings for Master Exorcist, even if I will be killed by a ghost tomorrow, I still want to be your wife for a day.“

    Yu Zhao’s heart throbbed, she turned her face away and whispered: “Miss Bo…“

    Slender and soft fingers suddenly pressed against her lips, stopping her words.

    Bo Chi met her gaze, and said with a smile like she was acting coquettishly: “You called me Chi Niang in bed, why are you so distant and calling me Miss Bo now that we’re out of bed?“

    Yu Zhao looked at her in a daze, and after a while, she looked away, pursed her lips: “…Chi Niang.“

    “Yes.” Bo Chi responded in kind, and said gently: “Ah Zhao.“

    Yu Zhao’s ears felt hot, as if she was back to last night, Bo Chi’s fingers intertwined with her hair, calling out Ah Zhao again and again in a daze.

    Yu Zhao’s thoughts wavered greatly, but when the cold wind blew outside the window, she became firm again.

    The more she liked and loved Bo Chi, the more she couldn’t let herself harm Bo Chi.

    She refused to give in, and no matter what, she wouldn’t be with Bo Chi. If Bo Chi got angry, she would directly offer her sword, looking like she would accept any scolding or beating.

    Bo Chi felt depressed, glared at her angrily, and could only give up on forcing her, and think of other ways. She angrily got back into bed, turning her back to Yu Zhao.

    Yu Zhao stood there quietly for a while, breathed a sigh of relief almost imperceptibly, then turned and left the room, preparing to bring hot water for Bo Chi to wash up.

    The door opened and closed again. When only Bo Chi was left in the room, she immediately put on a bitter face and started counting with her fingers.

    First… Yu Zhao definitely had some basic liking for her, otherwise she wouldn’t refuse to be with her just because she was worried that the ghost would hurt her.

    Secondly, this liking was definitely not enough. If Yu Zhao knew about her identity at this time, then the other party would definitely be shocked and angry, and then chop her up.

    Therefore, she had to continue to seduce Yu Zhao, to make the other party completely fall for her, to love her so much that even if she knew her identity, she would definitely not be willing to hurt her!

    Bo Chi clenched her small fists and made up her mind.

    She got out of bed, rummaged through the pile of things she bought yesterday, and then successfully found a water-red dress.

    There was nothing special about this dress, the only highlight was… it was very thin, very transparent, very revealing, and very seductive.

    The author has something to say:

    Bo Chi: No one knows better than me √

  • A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life 166

    Chapter 166: The Southern Tour, Winds of Change

    Since awakening, Luo Xue hadn’t doubted her identity as Princess Xue.

    Because everyone treated her as the little princess of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

    Even though her memories were fragmented, even though she finally had biological parents in this life, even with all the unusual things in this life…

    It wasn’t until she met the Immortal Emperor that Luo Xue vaguely sensed something amiss about his attitude.

    It was a deliberate and forced affection.

    The Immortal Emperor wasn’t a good actor. Luo Xue could tell that the love in his eyes wasn’t for her.

    But when he called her “Xue’er,” the emotions he expressed seemed genuine…

    And most importantly, the mysterious mortal.

    A mere mortal, secretly entering the princess’s bedroom was one thing, but to even enter the imperial study was illogical.

    Unless this mortal was the Immortal Emperor’s daughter, the little princess of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

    But the little princess was Luo Xue herself…

    Or rather… there were two little princesses.

    This bold guess arose in Luo Xue’s mind, but she needed confirmation.

    The Immortal Emperor’s sudden utterance of “Xue’er,” his subtle expression, finally confirmed Luo Xue’s suspicions. The Xue’er in the Immortal Emperor’s heart was someone else.

    She… might not be the real Princess Xue, but just a replacement.

    This bold guess overturned everything Luo Xue had believed in this life, yet it strangely fit all the suspicious points.

    Luo Xue quietly read the ancient texts, her expression serious.

    So, why was the real little princess hiding? Was it related to Imperial Concubine Min being imprisoned in the Cold Palace?

    Luo Xue clearly remembered that the first thing Concubine Min did upon seeing her was to ask about her health.

    Could it be that the original little princess suffered from some incurable illness and couldn’t be seen in public, and for some reason, this couldn’t be revealed, so they found a replacement?

    But why her?

    Luo Xue thought of her current appearance, different from her previous lives, carrying a fragile beauty that evoked pity.

    Was it because they looked similar?

    So, what was the real little princess’s current condition?

    And as a replacement, to what extent would she be used?

    “Father, can I take these two books back with me?” Luo Xue looked up at the Immortal Emperor with pleading eyes. “I might not… be able to finish them here.”

    “…Of course.”

    The Immortal Emperor paused and nodded slightly.

    “If you want, you can take any book from the imperial study.”

    “Thank you, Father,” Luo Xue’s face lit up with joy. “Can I come here again in the future?”

    The Immortal Emperor’s breath hitched. He wanted to refuse.

    But just then, Xue’er beside him woke up. She looked at the Immortal Emperor with innocent eyes, a pang of pain in his heart.

    He couldn’t refuse the request from this identical face…

    “No problem, as long as it’s something Xue’er wants, Father… can give you anything.”

    When he said this, the Immortal Emperor was looking at the sleepy Xue’er beside him.

    Perhaps thinking that Luo Xue was just a mortal child, the Immortal Emperor clearly wasn’t paying attention. This huge oversight didn’t escape Luo Xue’s notice.

    Combined with the strong aura of the mysterious mortal, Luo Xue was almost certain that the real Princess Xue was sitting beside her, just invisible.

    Perhaps it was because the Immortal Emperor couldn’t face his daughter’s replacement directly, yet had to act lovingly, that led to this strange situation.

    Luo Xue felt that it was time to leave. Staying any longer would be too uncomfortable, so she stood up and said,

    “Father, I want to go back and study these books. When Father returns from your southern tour, you can see this child’s progress.”

    “…Go.” The Immortal Emperor closed his eyes wearily. “Father… is also tired.”

    Luo Xue bowed slightly and left the imperial study with the books.

    Only after Luo Xue left did Xue’er fully awaken, but the white-haired girl who looked just like her was already gone, a melancholic expression on her face.

    “Xue’er…”

    “She… is a good person, right?” Xue’er rested her chin on her hand, looking in the direction Luo Xue had left. “She’s… my ideal. If only Xue’er could be like her…”

    “No, Xue’er, no one can compare to you,” the Immortal Emperor said softly, “Even if her appearance is almost identical to yours… she can’t compare to you, my Xue’er.”

    Even with the identical appearance, Luo Xue’s slightly distant and polite demeanor, her resolute and independent personality, was completely different from Xue’er’s.

    These differences constantly reminded the Immortal Emperor that they were two different people.

    Luo Xue wasn’t Xue’er, nor was she a replacement.

    The thought that if Xue’er died, the only Xue’er he would see for the rest of his life would be a replacement pained the Immortal Emperor deeply.

    Just as the Empress had said, in this game of chess between them, the Immortal Emperor’s biggest mistake was developing feelings for the little princess.

    Xue’er was still yearning for Luo Xue, even though her illness was about to take her life.

    Soon…

    It would all be over soon…

    …

    “Princess Xue returned to her palace after less than half a day in the imperial study.”

    The etiquette official lowered her head and reported respectfully to the Empress.

    The Empress was tending to the flower buds that had finally appeared after months of waiting. The few blossoms on the bare branches seemed to have brightened her mood.

    “Oh, it seems Dugu Di isn’t very satisfied with his new daughter.” The Empress waved her hand, and the scissors formed from spiritual energy dissipated. “It’s fine, just find another one. I think that Luo Xue from the southern tribes is quite good. They both have white hair anyway.”

    “Your Majesty, do you mean…”

    The etiquette official’s expression was filled with surprise.

    “Oh, the current one… she’ll probably die soon.” The Empress waved her hand dismissively. “I know Dugu Di’s personality very well. Once Dugu Xue dies, he’ll definitely kill a few replacements. I’ve already prepared several, just to wear him down.”

    “Why…”

    The etiquette official couldn’t understand, her face filled with shock.

    “Because in this game of chess, Princess Xue is just an insignificant pawn. What’s important is Concubine Min.” The Empress said slowly,

    “Concubine Min can neither live nor die. She can only be imprisoned in the Cold Palace, clinging to her last hope—that her daughter is still alive.”

    “If the Immortal Emperor hadn’t developed any feelings, he could have continued using replacements. As long as Concubine Min believed her daughter was still alive, it would be fine. Unfortunately…”

    From the very beginning, what Dugu Di truly needed was Concubine Min, not her daughter.

    It was a pity that Dugu Di could be ruthless towards Concubine Min, but he was soft-hearted towards Xue’er.

    The Empress glanced at the etiquette official, her gaze softening slightly.

    “Wan’er, you didn’t have to know about this. I didn’t intend to tell you… You have a kindness that shouldn’t exist within the imperial family.”

    If the etiquette official hadn’t encountered Xue’er in the bedroom and hadn’t asked the Empress about this, she would only have wondered why Princess Xue would occasionally become dazed and confused, and after recovering from her illness, seemed like a different person.

    For the Empress, subtly altering someone’s memories and appearance was easy, and there was more than one person with white hair.

    “However… it’s also troublesome to let Dugu Di keep changing them. I quite like the current Princess Xue.” The Empress pondered for a moment. “Should I send her to the Nangong Sacred Land? Ling’er is already on her way.”

    This was a rare, pure human. Perhaps she was related to the legendary ancestral land.

    The fact that she could easily construct formations was enough to prove her human identity.

    “Has she realized that she’s a replacement?”

    The Empress suddenly thought of this and turned to ask.

    The etiquette official pondered, recalling Princess Xue’s recent behavior, then shook her head.

    “Probably… not yet.”

    During this time, Princess Xue seemed to be focused only on formations, nothing else unusual.

    A sixteen-year-old girl shouldn’t have such deep thoughts. Perhaps the Empress was just overthinking it.

    “I’m still a bit uneasy about this…”

    The Empress pondered for a moment, then said, “Before Ling’er arrives at the Imperial Sacred Land, don’t let her leave the palace, not even to the Imperial Capital.”

    “As you command, Your Majesty.”

    The etiquette official bowed and slowly left the courtyard.

    The Empress returned to her recliner and sat down.

    Her gaze extended into the distance, seemingly towards the imperial study.

    “Southern tour…”

    “So eager to get rid of the Nangong clan?”

    The Great Qin Immortal Dynasty didn’t belong to the Immortal Emperor alone. He had received help from many ancient clans during his conquests, although their initial purpose was only to use him to eliminate their rivals.

    The establishment of such a vast Immortal Dynasty was an accident.

    However, because of this, even within the dynasty, the Immortal Emperor was still restricted by the ancient clans, especially the Nangong clan, who had contributed the most during the conquests.

    If the Immortal Emperor wanted to break free from these restrictions, there were many things he had to do.

    First, he had to break through to the Saint Realm, to be on par with the reclusive elders of the ancient clans. Second, he had to unite the tribes in the southern barbarian lands, forming another powerful force within the dynasty to counter the ancient clans.

    Concubine Min was the key to solving the Immortal Emperor’s cultivation problem, and the recent unification of the southern barbarian lands gave him hope.

    The ancient clans, represented by the Nangong clan, currently only held the card of Concubine Min. The southern barbarian lands were the key to the Immortal Emperor breaking free from their control.

    But would it be that simple?

    The Empress noticed that the flower buds she had carefully tended to seemed to have withered slightly. She didn’t use any techniques, but pondered.

    Suddenly, as if realizing something, she said softly,

    “Perhaps… I need to add some fuel to the fire…”

  • You’re Not Allowed to Kiss Me Anymore! [Quick Transmigration] 55p3

    Chapter 55 p3

    Ying Xi, oblivious to the online frenzy, turned to Mo Yuwei.

    “Well, well, well, Miss Mo. You called Xin Yao a homewrecker, but it turns out you’re the other woman! Or rather, the fourth woman!”

    “Shouldn’t you apologize to Xin Yao? After all, you slapped her in public and encouraged people to bully her online!”

    Her words were like slaps to Mo Yuwei’s face.

    She had been raised in a world of privilege, sheltered from hardship and humiliation. And now, she was the subject of public ridicule.

    Her face pale, she wanted to faint, but she couldn’t, her body frozen in place, a silent scream trapped in her throat.

    But Ying Xi, her anger directed solely at Li Xu, not at Mo Yuwei, who was also a victim, turned to glare at him.

    “You tried to kill me!”

    “You bastard! I told you I was pregnant with your child, and you tried to kill me!”

    “How could you be so cruel?!”

    Li Xu, his body trembling under the weight of everyone’s stares, finally snapped, his voice a furious roar.

    “You’re lying!”

    “You crazy bitch! You and Xin Yao are working together! You’re trying to ruin me!”

    He had to silence her!

    He took a step towards her, his expression menacing.

    Just then, the doors to the ballroom opened.

    Everyone turned to see several plainclothes police officers entering the room, their gazes scanning the crowd.

    “Which one of you is Li Xu? He’s under arrest for attempted murder.”

    Li Xu, frozen mid-stride, slowly turned around.

    As he was being led away, his mind still reeling from the sudden turn of events, he felt like he was in a dream, his world crumbling around him.

    Then, he saw Xin Yao, sitting in a quiet corner, her gaze cold and indifferent as she watched him being taken away.

    He finally understood who was behind this, his teeth grinding together in frustration.

    But it was too late.

    He was now in the same position as the original Xin Yao, silenced and condemned, his life ruined.

    And Xin Yao, watching him go, her expression impassive, wouldn’t waste a single word on him.

    Meanwhile, the news of Li Xu’s arrest was spreading like wildfire online.

    His fanbase, already dwindling after the news of his relationship with Mo Yuwei, had now completely turned against him.

    He had been with Xin Yao all along, cheating on her with another woman, exploiting both of them for his own gain.

    And after finding a richer girlfriend, he had not only dumped them but had also tried to destroy their reputations.

    He was a monster!

    [Industry insiders reveal Li Xu’s history of social climbing.]

    [Those three women are so pitiful!]

    [It’s disgusting!]

    But what was truly terrifying was the realization that he was capable of murder, that he wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stood in his way.

    He was a dangerous man.

    The news was so shocking that many people had initially dismissed it as fake, until a video of Li Xu being arrested surfaced online, confirming the rumors.

    Even his most devoted fans were now silent, their faith in him shattered.

    [Wait, if this is all true, then Xin Yao is the real victim! She was bullied and slandered online!]

    [She tried to explain! She tried so many times, but no one listened!]

    [Ying Xi is also a victim! I’m her neighbor! She’s been devastated by this!]

    As the evidence mounted, Li Xu’s carefully constructed image crumbling, public opinion shifted, no longer condemning Xin Yao, but sympathizing with her.

    [They’re so pitiful! Exploited for years, then targeted for murder! He’s a modern-day Chen Shimei!]

    [I’m crying! I’m a Xin Yao fan! I’ve always believed in her! I knew she wasn’t capable of such things! You all judged her without even knowing her!]

    [I get upset when people say mean things about me online. I can’t imagine what Xin Yao has been through.]

    The comments section exploded, the online discussions heated and passionate.

    Xin Yao, her eyes glazing over at the sheer volume of messages, closed the live stream and put away her phone, no longer wanting to read them.

    She looked at the chaotic scene before her, the engagement party in ruins, Mo Yuwei slumped in her chair, the guests whispering amongst themselves, then quietly slipped out of the ballroom.

    Outside, the sun was shining brightly.

    Ying Xi emerged a few moments later, standing beside Xin Yao, a triumphant smile on her face.

    Xin Yao turned to her. “Want to grab some dinner? Or I can drive you home.”

    Ying Xi, her eyes shining, suddenly hugged Xin Yao, her voice a soft whisper in her ear.

    “Thank you.”

    Then, releasing her, she smiled, her usual cheerful demeanor returning.

    “I think I’ll pass on dinner. I need some rest. I have an appointment tomorrow… to take care of this.”

    “It’s such a beautiful day. I hope it stays like this.”

    “Safe travels, Xin Yao. And it seems someone’s waiting for you.”

    Huh?

    Xin Yao, following Ying Xi’s gaze, turned around.

    Xu Jingyu, dressed in black, her face hidden behind a mask and a hat, stood by a car, her long legs crossed, the sunlight illuminating her figure, making her look even more beautiful.

    Seeing Xin Yao, she put away her phone and stood up straight.

    Xin Yao said goodbye to Ying Xi and ran towards Xu Jingyu, throwing herself into her arms, her embrace filled with the joy and relief of their reunion.

    Xu Jingyu’s arms wrapped around her, her chin nuzzling against Xin Yao’s head.

    The gentle touch made Xin Yao giggle, her arms tightening around Xu Jingyu’s waist.

    “Have you been waiting long?”

    “Yes,” Xu Jingyu murmured, her voice soft, “a very long time.”

    Xu Jingyu had wanted to accompany Xin Yao, to support her, but Xin Yao had insisted on handling it alone, not wanting to involve her.

    So, Xu Jingyu had waited outside, her anxiety growing with each passing moment, time seeming to slow down.

    The street wasn’t the best place for a conversation, their identities too easily recognized, so after a brief exchange, they got into the car.

    Xin Yao had expected Xu Jingyu to ask about the engagement party, about what had happened, about how she was feeling.

    But Xu Jingyu simply turned to her and asked, “It’s getting late. Are you hungry?”

    Xin Yao, surprised, then thoughtful, replied, “Is there anything you want to eat?”

    “How about malatang?”

    “Huh?” Xin Yao looked at her, surprised. “Ms. Xu, you don’t seem like the type to enjoy malatang.”

    Xu Jingyu’s tastes were usually light and delicate, her aversion to spicy food well-known.

    Xu Jingyu smiled.

    She had been studying Xin Yao’s preferences, learning about her likes and dislikes, her love for spicy food a stark contrast to Xu Jingyu’s own.

    She wanted to try the things Xin Yao enjoyed.

    And Xin Yao, of course, wouldn’t refuse.

    Twenty minutes later, they sat at a small malatang restaurant recommended by Meng Wanqing, their phones untouched, ignoring the online frenzy, the unanswered calls piling up.

    It was still early, and the restaurant was almost empty, just the two of them.

    Like the time they had shared a bowl of wontons, they sat close together at the small table, their arms almost touching.

    Xu Jingyu, trying malatang for the first time, frowned slightly, a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead.

    Xin Yao, seeing her reaction, couldn’t help but tease her.

    “Ms. Xu, you can’t handle the spice?”

    How dare she question her tolerance?

    Xu Jingyu, her expression unchanged, took another bite, then declared, her voice calm and even, “I’ve adapted.”

    “Oh really?” Xin Yao drawled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

    She glanced around, making sure no one was watching, then leaned closer, her lips brushing against Xu Jingyu’s ear, her voice a husky whisper.

    “I can make you lose your composure with a single sentence. Want to bet?”

    Xu Jingyu’s eyelashes fluttered, her dark eyes glancing at Xin Yao’s face.

    “What sentence?”

    Xin Yao leaned even closer, her breath warm against Xu Jingyu’s ear, her voice a seductive murmur.

    “Want to come over to my place tonight?”

    Xu Jingyu choked, the spice suddenly overwhelming, a burning sensation spreading from her stomach to her throat.

    She covered her mouth with her hand, coughing, then grabbed a napkin and wiped her lips, taking a sip of water to soothe her burning throat.

    She looked at Xin Yao, her eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and something darker, more intense.

    “Yaoyao, you did that on purpose.”

    “Mm-hmm,” Xin Yao raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on her face. “I did.”

    Then, her voice softening, she added, “Or how about… you come over to my place?”

    In the end, they went to Xu Jingyu’s apartment.

    As they reached the door, Xin Yao realized it was her first time visiting Xu Jingyu’s home, a sudden excitement filling her.

    But as she opened the door and turned on the lights, she froze, her eyes widening in surprise.

    One wall of Xu Jingyu’s living room was covered in shelves, and the shelves were filled with jars of candy, all shapes and sizes, their colorful wrappers creating a dazzling display, like a miniature galaxy.

    It was clearly a collection, carefully curated and meticulously organized.

    But Xu Jingyu didn’t like candy. Who was it for?

    A tear rolled down Xin Yao’s cheek.

    Her heart swelled with emotion, like a thousand butterflies taking flight.

    She had thought she was the only one who remembered, the only one who carried the torch of their past love, her memories a bittersweet burden.

    But Xu Jingyu, even without her memories, had been loving her, instinctively, her soul recognizing Xin Yao’s.

    Even without remembering, you still loved me.

    Xin Yao turned to Xu Jingyu, her voice trembling slightly.

    “When did you start collecting these?”

    Xu Jingyu, seeing Xin Yao’s tears, rushed towards her, gently wiping them away.

    “Why are you crying? I thought you would like it.”

    “I don’t remember when I started. I just… one day I realized I was collecting them.”

    Her words only made Xin Yao cry harder.

    Xu Jingyu, her hands cupping Xin Yao’s face, her voice gentle and concerned, asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?”

    “I… I’m just worried about getting cavities,” Xin Yao sobbed, her nose wrinkling slightly.

    “Then don’t eat too much.”

    “And I think they’re expired!”

    “No, they’re not. I take good care of them. I throw away the expired ones.”

    “That’s not it. I just…” Xin Yao looked at her, her eyes shining with tears, “I just like you too much.”

    Xin Yao’s tears softened Xu Jingyu’s gaze, and she gently kissed Xin Yao’s forehead.

    “Me too. I like you… too much.”

  • As a villain, I just want them to behave 253

    Chapter 253: Taking Everything

    People are fickle creatures. Faith might be deeply hidden, but once its veil is lifted, the truth can be glimpsed.

    Galina’s attempts to hide were futile. Her hands covering herself only added a layer of alluring mystery.

    Through the gaps between her fingers, Kailun saw her so-called “faith”: pure, white, and tinged with a hint of red, like a shy young maiden.

    Her faith was so sincere that it sparked a desire in Kailun to “taint” it.

    Especially when Galina glared at him with a hint of resentment, his desire to explore further intensified.

    “Although your faith seems wonderful, I won’t respect it. Remember not to cry later.”

    Kailun smiled at Galina, his tone friendly.

    He placed his communication device on the pillow beside him. He might need to contact Afra and the others later.

    Since Fate had left Galina to stall for time, something would definitely happen tonight.

    Once he “dealt with” Galina, he could fully focus on commanding the operation.

    Simultaneously fighting and commanding wasn’t difficult for him. He had done it many times before.

    He felt that Fate was more likely to target the Abyss. He and Bella had reminded the old Dragon King several times, so they shouldn’t be caught off guard.

    Even if there were unexpected events, they could escape through the teleportation magic circle, minimizing the losses.

    Kailun had made thorough preparations. The rest depended on Fate’s move.

    Galina suddenly let out a muffled moan of pain. “Hng~”

    A wave of novel sensations washed over Kailun, like a silver bottle shattering, water splashing, cavalry charging, swords clashing. A melody ending abruptly, a silk string snapping.

    Or like the warbling of orioles amidst blooming flowers, the gurgling of a spring hidden beneath ice.

    A symphony of sounds, both chaotic and harmonious, like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

    His touch was like a musician gently plucking strings, and Kailun, immersed in the beautiful melody, almost forgot his original purpose.

    He noticed that Galina’s gaze had shifted from resentment to a complex mix of emotions, including a hint of tenderness.

    Her behavior always surprised him. Even in pain, she wanted to maintain control, unwilling to let Kailun completely destroy her faith.

    “Huh? Something unexpected happened?”

    Just then, Kailun received a magic letter from Afra. It said that they had lost contact with the Abyss, and she planned to send scouts to investigate.

    Kailun frowned, his passion fading.

    Galina sensed an opportunity to turn the tables and counterattack, but Kailun easily suppressed her with a slight increase in his agility and strength.

    While waiting for new information, he didn’t forget his “task.”

    Even though the path ahead was winding and treacherous, nothing could stop his determination. The “fledgling” Galina was no match for him.

    “You can be more proactive, but don’t try to peek at the contents of the letter. Otherwise, the consequences will be severe.”

    Kailun warned Galina, noticing her gaze constantly shifting towards the magic letter in his hand.

    “I don’t believe you. You’re nothing special.”

    Galina shook her head, her words punctuated by her heavy breathing.

    “Heh.”

    Kailun finished replying to the magic letter and placed the communication device on the bedside table.

    He wanted to hear Galina’s cries within half an hour.

    [Galina submits. Goodwill +20, Total Goodwill 40]

    Twenty minutes later, Kailun had completely “conquered” her.

    He lay on Galina’s warm chest, waiting for news. The poor Galina had already fallen asleep, tears staining her cheeks.

    Kailun always kept his word. Not only had he taken Galina’s “faith,” but he had also made her completely submit to him.

    If it weren’t for more important matters, he would have explored her “faith” more thoroughly.

    Bored while waiting, he could only “play” with Galina.

    After another ten minutes, he finally received Afra’s magic letter. She informed him that the Abyss had indeed fallen, with the Empire launching an all-out attack.

    “It seems Fate has truly abandoned the Empire.” Kailun pondered, his fingers tracing Galina’s delicate skin.

    Fate’s willingness to abandon her own base showed her ambition. What surprised Kailun was that the Abyss had been sealed off without even a chance to escape.

    The old Dragon King’s response disappointed him. He had reminded him several times and even provided several contingency plans, but the worst-case scenario had still occurred.

    He hoped this incident wouldn’t affect Bella.

    To ensure the safety of his manor, Kailun had Afra cut off the connection with the Abyss’s teleportation magic circle.

    Considering the distance between the Xiya Kingdom and the Abyss, it would be too late to provide support using other methods. Therefore, Kailun decided to use a “besiege Wei to rescue Zhao” tactic to disrupt Fate’s plan.

    He immediately instructed Afra to lead a team from the manor to attack the White Jade Alliance’s Portland.

    Fate had only left one-third of the Empire’s forces in Portland. Based on Kailun’s calculations, Afra and her team could easily overwhelm them.

    Since Fate had taken the initiative, he wouldn’t just sit and wait.

    Kailun’s raiding party included Afra, Carol, Fox, Isabella, and Ottovia.

    Carol’s memories had recovered significantly, and he could bestow his attributes on her. This way, the raiding team would have two peak ninth-rank combatants at Afra’s level.

    One for close combat, one for magic. It was a reasonable team composition.

    As for the other three, they had special tasks. They were all key players in this raid.

    Kailun had realized what Fate was trying to do, and he had to act before her.

    After making all the arrangements, Kailun got dressed and prepared to leave. He had to go to Alaye and use the teleportation magic circle to return to the Xiya Kingdom. Before leaving, he hesitated as he looked at Galina, curled up on the messy bedsheets.

    “Goodbye.” Kailun covered her with a blanket, concealing her body, and then left the room.

    “Clang!”

    Less than ten seconds later, he rushed back, kicked open the door, and quickly dressed Galina.

    Then he wrapped her in a blanket, slung her over his shoulder, and jumped out the window, muttering something about “taking everything.”

    Six hours later, Kailun returned to the Papal Palace in Alaye with Galina.

    Pope Meggie Liran, who had just regained control, was stunned to see Galina being carried on his shoulder. “???”

    Her worldview shattered. The Empress, who was even more proud than her, had been captured just like that?

    However, Kailun ignored the shock in the Pope’s eyes. He called for Chrissy and Illusion to return to the Xiya Kingdom with him, leaving Helena to guard the Pope.

    “I’ll leave the Temple’s affairs to you. Don’t disappoint me.”

    Kailun smiled at Pope Meggie Liran before leaving.

    Seeing his bright smile, Meggie Liran shrank back. “I understand…”

  • Transformed into a Female Villain, But Captured by My Beautiful Girl Disciples v2c25

    25. What Harm They’ve Caused!

     

    “That Divine Phoenix Fox Demon bloodline is truly potent.”

    Watching the assassins being swallowed by the wave of demonic beasts, Miss Gong clicked her tongue.

    This girl wasn’t just capable of becoming the Empress; she could also command an army of demonic beasts.

    Wow.

    Imagine the Heartflame army, crimson-clad soldiers riding high-level demonic beasts, sweeping across the battlefield.

    How cool.

    Just then, the beasts, having dealt with the assassins, turned their attention towards her.

    This made Gong Yiling’s hair stand on end. She quickly brushed off the dust and ran.

    Soon, she saw the sorry state of Shangguan Qingyun and Young Master Xuli.

    Despite their strength, they were outnumbered.

    Even a human-shaped Gundam couldn’t withstand a barrage of attacks from unkillable enemies, especially attacks as disgusting as… well, you get the picture.

    By the time she arrived, they were covered in wounds, their earlier arrogance gone.

    To conserve energy, they could only ignore the less damaging attacks.

    Like the demonic beast that urinated on them.

    Not much damage, but incredibly insulting.

    Being targeted by over a hundred beasts, they didn’t have the time to retaliate.

    “As cultivators, disciples of the so-called descendant of the old sect, resorting to such despicable methods—”

    Before Shangguan Qingyun could finish, three streams of urine hit him in the face, forcing him to dodge quickly.

    The urine landed on Young Master Xuli instead.

    “Shangguan Qingyun!”

    “What does this have to do with me?”

    They glared at each other, their friendship on the verge of collapse.

    “If it weren’t for your invitation, would I be in this situation?”

    Shangguan Qingyun sneered. “Xuli, you were the one who coveted the Flame King Soft Hedgehog Armor. Do you think I could have forced you otherwise?”

    Young Master Xuli: “Isn’t this your fault for being overconfident? I shouldn’t have listened to you. The future ruler of the Heartflame Empire, being played by a few girls.”

    “And who was the one demanding spoils earlier? You don’t deserve the title of First Young Master. You’re worse than a beggar.”

    “Who are you calling a beggar!?”

    They started arguing, leaving the surrounding beasts confused, unsure whether to attack or not.

    Just as the beasts were about to resume their attack, an invisible wave of energy swept through the area.

    This wave contained an unknown power, causing the beasts, previously focused on the two men, to become agitated.

    And the one controlling the beasts also felt a sudden surge of fear.

    This fear came from…

    “Oh no.”

    Lu Xinyao’s face paled. “It’s the Flame Python!”

    “The Flame Python?” Qiu Shui was stunned. “We’re only at the outer edge of the central area. How could the Flame Python be here?”

    “I don’t know…” Fear consumed Lu Xinyao’s courage, and she transformed into Little Heehee, instinctively looking in a certain direction.

    They saw birds and beasts scattering, the poisonous mist churning and spreading towards them.

    The sound of something large crashing through the trees echoed in the distance.

    Gong Yiling also sensed its presence.

    Not just the suffocating pressure from the energy wave, but also the long-awaited system notification.

    “Notification: Congratulations! You have encountered the world boss, Calamity Heart Flame Python. Defeating this boss grants a large amount of world reputation, significantly increasing the influence of the Great One Engineering Sect and the host’s legitimacy.”

    “I forgot what level it is.”

    “Peak Heavenly Venerable.”

    “Fuck that.”

    Gong Yiling cursed, then rushed to the two girls, grabbing their arms and running.

    “What are you waiting for? Run!”

    But before they could get far, the two men, previously abandoned by the beasts, appeared before them.

    “You want to fight? Fine.” Seeing their murderous intent, Gong Yiling said, “But first, tell me who I am.”

    “I don’t care who you—”

    “Boom!!!!”

    Just as Shangguan Qingyun attacked, a cluster of Demonic Qiong Trees behind them exploded.

    A giant shadow loomed in the purple mist, making the First Prince’s eyes widen in horror.

    Young Master Xuli, about to use a technique, was suddenly slapped by the First Prince.

    “Are you crazy, Shangguan Qingyun?”

    “If you die here, remember to tell your master that you brought this upon yourself.”

    Shangguan Qingyun glared at him, then sneered, activating a Flashbang Talisman, the same type Gong Yiling used.

    But its purpose wasn’t to cover their escape, but to disorient Gong Yiling and the girls.

    Yes.

    When the blinding light subsided, the two men were gone.

    And the Flame Python, previously at a distance, was now close enough for them to see its massive head.

    What a peculiar creature.

    “Those bastards,” Gong Yiling’s face darkened. “Not only did they run away, but they also trapped us here.”

    “What should we do?” Qiu Shui asked anxiously.

    Gong Yiling continued running, feeling the python closing in.

    Finally, she took a deep breath and released their hands.

    “You go.”

    Her words shocked Qiu Shui and Little Heehee.

    “You?”

    “Big… Sister?”

    “I was the one who brought you here. Now that we’ve encountered this thing, I have to ensure your safety. It’s my responsibility.”

    She turned around, smiling and winking. “Besides, we can’t all stay here. Someone has to go and get help.”

    “I’m staying!”

    Little Heehee looked at Gong Yiling resolutely. “I won’t leave you alone.”

    Turning her head, seeing the determination in the girl’s eyes, Gong Yiling seemed to understand.

    Had she been recognized?

    However…

    “Qiu Shui,” Gong Yiling said in a commanding tone, “take her and leave. That’s an order.”

     

     

     

  • The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v2c67

    Chapter 67: Doing As She Pleases… To Her 

    Sunset.

    Though in Victoria, the difference between day and night was perhaps only the density of the fog that perpetually shrouded the city.

    Everything was veiled in a thick mist, even midday feeling as gloomy as midnight.

    Basking in the warm sunlight during this season in Victoria was a luxury. The sun only made fleeting appearances in the afternoon, followed by the lingering, pervasive fog.

    Like the city’s current state, everything was filled with chaos and uncertainty, engulfing everyone within, without exception.

    The blindfolded nun sat in her wheelchair, pushed by a slender girl who held an umbrella, shielding her from Victoria’s incessant drizzle, heading home.

    “Sister, so… you won’t be praying alone in the church anymore?”

    Stasha asked curiously. Usually, her sister would stay in the cathedral until the stars emerged before returning home. Today, with the sunset’s afterglow still lingering on the horizon, she was hurrying back.

    Stasha felt that her sister’s mood was worse than usual today, as if she was worried about something.

    Stasha empathized, but she was powerless to help.

    Sigh, when would she be able to assist her sister…

    “More or less,” Luo Ling replied softly, lost in thought.

    Luo Ling’s consciousness still resided within Alyssa’s body. As Stasha guessed, she was indeed preoccupied with certain matters.

    Luo Ling now understood the Harbingers’ leaders’ intentions behind the task assigned to “Theologian” Alyssa.

    By having the “White Witch’s Apostle” appear, they aimed to divert the Company’s attention, making them believe that dealing with the alleged collaboration between the Harbingers and the White Witch was the top priority.

    Even if the Company realized this collaboration might be a fabrication, they would still have to dedicate significant resources to investigate. Otherwise… if it were true, the Company would face utter defeat.

    In other words, Alyssa was tasked with directly confronting the Company.

    Although she had been assigned several Harbingers to assist her, it was still extremely dangerous.

    Of course, this danger wasn’t to Alyssa herself, but to the “Saint Alyssa” persona.

    As the White Witch’s God’s Favored, few forces could truly threaten Alyssa. To kill her, they would need to treat her as a High-Risk Grotesquery; otherwise, even death wouldn’t be permanent.

    Therefore, Luo Ling was worried that if Alyssa was exposed to the Company, the useful “Saint Alyssa” shell would be ruined.

    Even the Church of Light would be dismantled by the Company, severing Luo Ling’s intelligence network across Victoria. That would be a significant loss.

    Besides this, there was another, more important issue.

    Within her current Spore vision, the flaxen-haired girl was struggling to push the wheelchair.

    Even with Luo Ling’s assistance, Victoria’s terrible road conditions made the wheelchair bump and jostle, sending pebbles flying. The vibrations made Stasha’s hands numb and purple.

    “Stasha,” Luo Ling suddenly said.

    “What is it, sister?” Stasha replied breathlessly, her voice strained.

    “You…”

    Luo Ling paused mid-sentence, as if remembering something.

    “Sister, don’t stop talking halfway!” Stasha said, straining her ears to listen, but hearing nothing further.

    “I just haven’t figured out how to say it.” Luo Ling’s gaze lowered. This familiar scene made her afraid. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t utter them.

    Saint Alyssa of the Church of Light was now in a precarious position, a target for all. The Harbingers had placed her in the forefront, and the Company was targeting her.

    Everything was like a raging fire, and Luo Ling’s only means of defense was a single sheet of paper, easily turned to ash with the slightest touch.

    Victoria was now like a lone ship sailing through a storm, its occupants fighting amongst themselves while the storm raged outside.

    Even Awakened Ones could barely protect themselves, let alone ordinary humans… who were incredibly fragile in this environment.

    Any action by the Company, any plan by the Harbingers, could be an irreversible abyss for ordinary people.

    And Stasha was just such an ordinary person caught in the storm, especially with her close proximity to Alyssa, who was in the eye of the storm. The slightest misstep could be fatal.

    Luo Ling initially wanted Stasha to leave Victoria, this ship fraught with danger, but she suddenly thought of her own sister, her feelings becoming complicated, unable to speak.

    The safest place was a Kingdom. So far, neither the Company nor the Harbingers were aware of their existence.

    Luo Ling currently had access to a Kingdom: Linna’s Starry Victoria.

    But… ordinary people couldn’t enter a Kingdom. A Kingdom was a distorted world. Even ordinary Awakened Ones who weren’t aware of Boundaries would experience cognitive dissonance within a Kingdom, let alone ordinary humans.

    For example, Eve, who had accidentally entered a Kingdom the first time, had only avoided madness thanks to a precious sacred medicine. Otherwise… they wouldn’t have seen the Iron Fist Maid again.

    As for Stasha, entering Starry Victoria would have only one outcome: becoming a complete lunatic. Even in a dormant state, she couldn’t withstand the distorted world.

    “Stasha, do you have anything else to do these days?” Luo Ling asked softly.

    “I… I don’t think so…”

    Stasha stopped, wiping the sweat from her forehead, leaning against the wheelchair to rest.

    “My teacher said I’ve completed all my lessons. If I want to learn more, I have to go to a formal school, but I’m thinking that if I go to school, I might not be able to pick you up from the cathedral every day, so… I’m still hesitating.”

    “I see,” Luo Ling said softly.

    Under normal circumstances, she would definitely encourage Stasha to go to school. The girl enjoyed studying. The only reason she hadn’t gone to a formal school before was lack of money.

    Now, things were different. As the Saint’s younger sister, Stasha could attend any school she wanted, without even paying tuition.

    Even if the school didn’t waive the fees, there would be plenty of wealthy individuals willing to donate as a form of atonement, to support the Saint’s sister’s education.

    But now…

    “In that case, Stasha, stay by my side these days. Don’t go anywhere.” Luo Ling reached out and gently held Stasha’s hand, which was resting on the wheelchair.

    If everywhere in Victoria was dangerous, then staying by Alyssa’s side was the safest option. At least… she could protect her sister personally.

    “Really?” Stasha said, surprised, but then she became hesitant. “But then… won’t that… bother you?”

    “Of course not.”

    “But you’re the Saint… If your followers see me like this, so unrefined, will it affect their image of you?”

    For as long as Stasha could remember, their lives had been difficult. She hadn’t developed her sister’s elegant demeanor and grace.

    Compared to her sister, she was like a country bumpkin.

    At least in Stasha’s mind, her unrefined appearance, if frequently seen in public, might damage her sister’s glorious image as a Saint.

    “What’s wrong with being the Saint? I’m the Saint, but I’m also your sister,” Luo Ling said gently. “As the Saint’s sister, your appearance and actions are acceptable. Moreover… the Saint’s sister can represent God.”

    Luo Ling skillfully performed a gesture from Mass, then gently touched Stasha’s forehead, saying with a smile, “Alright, by the will of God, you are now also a Saint.”

    Stasha touched her forehead, giggling foolishly, making Luo Ling chuckle as well.

    However, under the pervasive fog, their light, cheerful laughter held a chilling undertone.

    Back in the small house, looking at Stasha excitedly preparing dinner in the kitchen as usual, Luo Ling’s gaze softened, but quickly turned serious again.

    “It seems the mixed bag that is the Speakers isn’t trustworthy. Even the Gypsy Girl… might be on the Company’s side.”

    Luo Ling had initially intended to use a favor to inquire about Fiona’s condition, but now she couldn’t.

    Fiona was undeniably important. Whether it was the dangerous secret she knew, her own strength, or her unparalleled Sacred Tool crafting abilities, each was significant to the current situation in Victoria.

    This was why the Company directors had been so ambivalent towards Luo Ling before. Fiona truly held that much weight.

    Unable to guarantee that the Speakers wouldn’t sell this information, potentially attracting the attention of both the Company and the Harbingers, Luo Ling could only abandon this idea.

    Now, only one path remained.

    The mysterious and unknown Witches’ Tea Party.

    Luo Ling hadn’t shared her memories of the Tea Party, not even with Linna or Elsa, as she wasn’t sure if the First Seat could detect it.

    The Tea Party was too powerful for them.

    Moreover, Linna hadn’t encountered any information about the Tea Party during her time in the various Kingdoms. This loose, mysterious organization had always remained well-hidden. The true identities of its members—besides the naive and reclusive Miss Iris—were unknown.

    There were two ways to convene the Tea Party: the First Seat could call a meeting, or a member could request assistance.

    The former was self-explanatory, while the latter required offering additional petals to the one completing the request. Without sufficient compensation, why would the Tea Party members bother to attend?

    Their true identities couldn’t be low… of course, except for Miss Iris. Luo Ling suspected that Miss Iris’s membership in this high-profile organization was largely due to Jingwei’s existence.

    Not every God’s Favored could bring their deity along…

    In Linna’s memories, although High-Order Grotesqueries occasionally appeared in the Kingdoms, they were few and far between. She hadn’t encountered one in all these years.

    God’s Favored and Godchosen could usually only communicate with their deities through indirect means. This face-to-face interaction was likely unique to Miss Iris…

    Of course, Luo Ling was an exception.

    After arranging everything, as Stasha served dinner, Luo Ling withdrew her consciousness, leaving the remaining warmth to the two unfortunate sisters.

    Under the dim candlelight, the simple, not particularly delicious meal was filled with a small, quiet happiness.

    ……

    Returning to Starry Victoria after several days, Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes, the ceiling of a staff room in the Victoria Opera House the first thing she saw.

    Luo Ling trusted Linna and Elsa implicitly, leaving her main body in the Kingdom without even bothering to find a place to lie down. She knew Linna and Elsa would take good care of her.

    But…

    What was going on now?

    Luo Ling looked down at the Lolita-style dress she was wearing, falling silent.

    She could feel the weight of her long white hair, adorned with various accessories, all loose and unbound.

    Because Luo Ling’s hair possessed a part of her consciousness and could arrange itself, it couldn’t be styled, only tied up.

    “…Have I been turned into a dress-up doll?”

    Luo Ling twitched the corner of her mouth. These two, instead of focusing on important matters, were always playing these games.

    “Little Elsa, you have to do it like this… Hey, are you listening to me?”

    Linna’s voice echoed from nearby, followed by two sets of footsteps. The light, quick steps belonged to Elsa, while the heavier, steadier steps were Linna’s.

    “No, no, no, no…”

    Elsa muttered, covering her ears and running to the doorway, but stopping before entering.

    Luo Ling had intended to get up, but hearing their conversation, she became curious and decided to continue lying down, pretending she hadn’t returned.

    “Let’s see what tricks you’re up to.”

    “Hey, you’ve already played, dressing your dear Sister White in the clothes you wanted her to wear. You have to let me play too…” Linna said, following Elsa and continuing to persuade her patiently.

    “You… you can also dress Sister White…”

    Elsa said weakly, her voice lacking conviction, sounding guilty.

    “No, little Elsa, this is something you want to do to Miss Luo Ling, but it’s not something I want to do. I’m not interested in this,” Linna sighed. “Besides, you’ve played enough now. It’s my turn, right?”

    “No, no, no, Miss Linna, we’re different! You want to do bad things to Miss Luo Ling!”

    Elsa shook her head vigorously, turning around and blocking the doorway with her arms, preventing Linna from entering Luo Ling’s room.

    “This isn’t a bad thing, Elsa. You’re still young, you don’t understand.”

    Linna shook her head, continuing her tireless teachings. “Trust me, Miss Luo Ling will definitely like it too, it’s just that she’s also quite young and hasn’t experienced it.

    “Look, like wearing Lolita clothes, do you think Miss Luo Ling would like it?”

    “Would… she?” Elsa hesitated. “I don’t know…”

    “Would she hate it?” Linna asked.

    “Probably not…” Elsa’s voice was uncertain, as if trying to convince herself. “Sister White just hasn’t worn them before. If she did, she would definitely like them…”

    “See? Miss Luo Ling hasn’t experienced this before, so how can you say it’s a bad thing? Maybe she’ll really like it!” Linna said, spreading her hands.

    Elsa tilted her head. It… seemed like Miss Linna had a point.

    “So, little Elsa, just let me in,” Linna said, rubbing her hands. “Please, or… you can go first?”

    “Huh? Me?”

    Elsa was stunned by Linna’s words, her mind buzzing. She quickly seemed to realize something, her face flushing crimson to the tips of her ears.

    Seeing Elsa wavering, Linna’s eyes lit up, and she immediately pressed her advantage. “Think about it, don’t you usually sleep with Miss Luo Ling in her girl form? Doesn’t she usually hold you?”

    “Mmm…”

    Elsa nodded.

    “Little Elsa, don’t you want to try holding Sister White in her Loli form while sleeping? Moreover, Sister White is currently in a state where you can easily change her clothes.”

    Like a devil’s whisper, a seductive smile appeared on Linna’s lips as she continued to paint a vivid picture.

    “Imagine, a sleeping Sister White, her Lolita dress half-undone, her usually cold face relaxed and cute. You can hold her just like she used to hold you, feeling the warmth of her body…

    “You can get close to her little face, smell her faint fragrance, and even… even! You can be even bolder, taste her cherry lips, the sweet aftertaste lingering…”

    Elsa swallowed, wavering.

    “I’m an adult, I should be more generous. I’ll let you go first, I’ll just watch from the side,” Linna said grandly. “If you don’t know how, I can also guide you!”

    “R-really?”

    Elsa was completely captivated by the prospect Linna painted, her face flushed.

    In fact, the reason she had dressed the sleeping Luo Ling in a Lolita dress before was also due to Linna’s instigation. Initially, Elsa had only brought Luo Ling to the room to lie down, then sat beside her, mesmerized by Sister White’s cute sleeping face.

    Then Linna, like a devil, had whispered temptations in her ear, encouraging her to do as she pleased to the sleeping silver-haired girl. And so… she had changed Luo Ling’s clothes and hairstyle.

    Of course, the hairstyle was gone, leaving only the clothes.

    “When have I ever lied to you? Didn’t you feel a sense of satisfaction when you changed Sister White’s clothes?”

    Linna crouched down, putting her arm around Elsa and lowering her voice. “Trust me, little Elsa, listen to me, your satisfaction will be a thousand, ten thousand times greater.”

    “This…”

    Elsa hesitated, struggling.

    “While Miss Luo Ling isn’t back yet, this is a rare opportunity! You won’t get another chance!” Linna said persuasively, her face sincere.

    Hearing this, Elsa finally overcame her hesitation, gritting her teeth and saying,

    “Okay!”

    At that moment, the door opened, revealing a beautiful girl with long silver hair, her face dark as she looked down at the two scheming figures crouched on the floor.

  • Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 138

    Chapter 138

    The early bird gets the worm.

    On this new day, before the cameraman started filming, Wei Chengli, worried about Shi Dingshan’s condition, woke up early and secretly went to the villa next door. The good news was that Shi Dingshan was stable overnight, his vital signs had stabilized. The bad news was that the doctor wouldn’t let him be discharged today, he insisted on keeping him under observation for another day.

    Anyway, as long as he was fine, everything else could be dealt with later.

    Wei Chengli, relieved, quietly returned to the villa and went upstairs, he thought he was quick and quiet, completely unnoticed. But he didn’t know that in the hall on the first floor, which he passed twice, someone watched him leave and return.

    “Uncle Wen came down earlier, I wonder if Wen Dongyu is awake yet. Now Uncle Wei is also up, Maomao and Yan Yan should be coming down soon, right?” Wang Zhizhi said, trying to transform his Transformer toy, he examined it, feeling something was wrong, he turned to Shen Zilin, who was building with Legos. “Did I do it wrong? Why doesn’t it look like a pig trotter…”

    “It’s best if he doesn’t wake up, we still have a while, it’ll be troublesome if he comes down early. Sigh, I was too sleepy yesterday, I didn’t finish building… Yan Yan and Maomao, one gave me a pig plush, the other gave me a pig candy jar, we don’t have to make gifts, we can come down later.” Shen Zilin said, putting down his Legos, he took the Transformer with one hand, and pulled the instruction manual closer to Wang Zhizhi with the other, he frowned like a mini adult, examined it for a moment, then swiftly twisted it twice and returned it to Wang Zhizhi. “There, you twisted the bottom part the wrong way.”

    “It’s so hard.” Wang Zhizhi said, yawning widely. “It would be great if we were still living together, you could help me at night, we wouldn’t have to wake up so early.”

    “If we were still living together, we would have to sneak out.” Shen Zilin said, continuing to build with his Legos. “Yours has pictures, just look carefully before transforming it, it won’t be difficult.”

    “That’s true.” Wang Zhizhi said, glancing at the pile of Lego pieces in front of Shen Zilin. “Yours is even harder without the instructions.”

    Shen Zilin, swiftly changing the pieces, finally built a somewhat satisfactory nose for the pig head in his hand, just as he was about to reply, he heard soft footsteps coming from the stairs again.

    They both pursed their lips, even their hands stopped moving.

    Wang Zhizhi craned his neck to look towards the stairs and saw a bright pink figure appear at the top.

    “It’s Yueyue.” Wang Zhizhi said, relieved, he stood up and waved.

    Wen Jiangyue hurried over and showed them the limp, half-deflated pig balloon in her hand with a wry smile. “It was still fine last night, but it became like this this morning…”

    “It’s okay, just blow it up, it’ll be…” Wang Zhizhi said, but before he could finish his sentence, they heard more footsteps coming from the stairs.

    Sleeping later than usual last night, and waking up so early today, Wei Maomao was truly, super sleepy. If it weren’t for Cheng Tingyan’s diligent wake-up service this morning, even tickling her feet, she wouldn’t have been able to wake up. Now, meeting her friends, Wei Maomao glanced at the pig head Shen Zilin had just built, then at the unfinished Transformer pig in Wang Zhizhi’s hand, calculating that she could still sleep for another ten minutes, she closed her eyes and leaned her head on Cheng Tingyan’s shoulder.

    “Ah…” Wen Jiangyue couldn’t help but gasp softly.

    “It’s okay, it was already almost deflated, should I help you blow it up?” Shen Zilin asked, looking up at the completely deflated pig balloon in Wen Jiangyue’s hand.

    “I’ll blow it up myself…” Wen Jiangyue said, taking a deep breath, holding the balloon’s opening.

    Wei Maomao, about to drift back into dreamland, felt a buzzing sound by her ear, she sensed something was wrong, but her sleepy brain couldn’t process it.

    Struggle, struggle!

    Wei Maomao forced her eyes open and saw Wen Jiangyue about to blow into the balloon.

    Her sleepiness was instantly chased away by her alertness.

    “No!”

    Wei Maomao shouted, dodging like a chubby bunny, her hand reaching out to stop her at the same time.

    Wen Jiangyue’s blowing missed the balloon and landed on a chubby paw instead.

    “This balloon is big, don’t blow it with your mouth. We’re little babies, we can’t blow that much air.” Wei Maomao said, patting her chest, still shaken after successfully preventing a dangerous incident.

    Cheng Tingyan silently pulled back the little chubby paw, she gently stroked the back of her hand, stroked it, and stroked it again…

    “Then should we take turns blowing it?” Wang Zhizhi suggested.

    “No.” Wei Maomao said firmly, refusing. “Dangerous.”

    She had seen it online in her previous life, young children blowing up balloons, unsanitary conditions and skin allergies were minor issues, in severe cases, there was even a risk of capillary rupture. And if the balloon exploded, it would be even more dangerous, so close to the face, it could injure the eyes, and inhaling the fragments could cause suffocation. There was nothing good about it.

    Although Wei Maomao couldn’t explain it professionally with her three-year-old vocabulary, she had to stop them.

    “But it’s completely deflated.” Wen Jiangyue said, annoyed. “I shouldn’t have opened it, there was still some air inside earlier.”

    “Yesterday, at the swimming pool outside, I saw the staff deflating the balloons when they were putting them away.” Cheng Tingyan said, after thinking for a moment. “Do they have that inflating thing? I’ve seen it on the street, a barrel-like thing, you connect it and it blows up the balloons.”

    “Then… many people will know, what if…” Wen Jiangyue said hesitantly.

    “It’s okay, we’ll just go after we inflate it, no one will have time to tell Wen Dongyu, it’ll still be a surprise.” Shen Zilin said, his hands moving quickly as he built his Lego pig. “Wait, after I finish building this, we’ll go find someone to inflate it.”

    “My Transformer pig isn’t finished yet…” Wang Zhizhi said, wiping his forehead, he was sweating from twisting the pieces. “It’s so hard, I should have just gotten him a pig bun!”

    “It’s useless even if you knew, the pig buns were too far away, you couldn’t reach them with the ring toss.” Shen Zilin said, finding time to reply.

    Cheng Tingyan moved closer, glanced at the Transformer instructions, and asked hesitantly, “Do you want me to help you?”

    In the next second, the twisted and messy Transformer was in her hand.

    “Hero! My gratitude knows no bounds!” Wang Zhizhi said, bowing gratefully, then slumped back onto the sofa, exhausted.

    Cheng Tingyan: “… “

    “Then should I sort the pieces for you? If I put the same ones together, would it be easier for you?” Wen Jiangyue asked, squatting next to Shen Zilin, extending her hand in friendship, speeding up the progress of the Lego pig.

    The three of them were busy working at the small coffee table.

    Wang Zhizhi, after resting for a while, felt a bit guilty. But just as he sat up, wanting to help, he saw Wei Maomao, asleep, buried in the pile of pillows on the other side of the sofa.

    Mmm… Wang Zhizhi relaxed and leaned back, feeling justified.

    Those who are more capable should do more.

    Cheng Tingyan quickly fixed the Transformer pig, then squatted next to Shen Zilin, helping him find the right pig trotters.

    When they finally finished both gifts, they heard voices from outside the villa, the staff were starting to arrive.

    Perfect timing, Wen Jiangyue’s balloon pig could finally be inflated.

    “No, don’t film.” Shen Zilin said, rejecting Zeng Huanian’s request to film while they were waiting for the balloon to be inflated. “We just want to give him a surprise, we don’t want to be filmed.”

    Zeng Huanian scratched his head, feeling a bit frustrated. “Filming and giving him a surprise, they don’t conflict. It’s a good thing, you little babies, thinking of giving your friend a birthday gift, it’s so meaningful, we’ll film it for you, you can watch it when you grow up.”

    “No.” Wang Zhizhi shook his head. “We want him to have a happy birthday, filming it would be weird.”

    “Why would it be weird? It’s cute.” Zeng Huanian tried to persuade them again. “Yan Yan, Maomao, Yueyue, what do you think?”

    Wei Maomao didn’t mind, but she could understand Shen Zilin and the others.

    It was just good friends, sincerely wanting another friend to be happy on their birthday, receiving gifts. They just wanted to do it privately, they felt that being filmed would make it seem insincere.

    It was that night, after arriving at the villa, after the live broadcast ended, after the cameras and microphones were turned off, after they turned off the lights in their room, Shen Zilin came over secretly and told them about Wen Dongyu’s birthday.

    Wei Maomao had read the information provided by the program team before coming to the show, she didn’t think anyone had a birthday during these few days. And in her previous life, Wen Dongyu didn’t celebrate his birthday on the show either… Wei Maomao thought Shen Zilin had remembered it wrong, but he said… the information was based on the solar calendar, he calculated it based on the lunar calendar.

    He was truly… very thoughtful.

    According to Shen Zilin, Wen Dongyu had been unhappy for a long time in the village. Although he seemed to be getting along well with Wen Xiang these past few days, but since it was his birthday, maybe they could make him even happier. They secretly discussed it, they didn’t know what Wen Dongyu usually liked, but after observing him these past few days, he seemed to like Wen Xixi the most. So they decided to give him a pig-themed gift set.

    The Lego set, the Transformer, and the pig plush were won from the ring toss at the night market the day before yesterday, the pig balloon and the pig candy jar were bought at the amusement park yesterday. It’s just that the schedule was a bit tight these past few days, Shen Zilin and Wang Zhizhi couldn’t work on the gifts while filming, and they were too sleepy to work when they weren’t filming, so they had to wake up early this morning to finish them.

    After keeping it a secret for so long, after working so hard, now that they were at the final step, who would listen to Zeng Huanian?

    Even Wen Jiangyue, who was staring at the balloon being inflated, found time to warn Zeng Huanian, “Uncle, it’s not time to wake up yet, you can’t secretly film us.”

    What else could Zeng Huanian say? He wasn’t Jin Youliang, he truly… couldn’t bring himself to secretly turn on the camera. He could only watch as the little ones, each holding a gift, went upstairs.

    Mmm…

    What? Something seemed wrong? Zeng Huanian scratched his head… What was wrong…

    Wang Zhizhi, who was walking at the front, stopped at the top of the stairs to the second floor, he hesitated, then looked back and whispered, “Uncle Wen came downstairs earlier, they’re not still sleeping, are they?”

    “No, it’s almost time for the live broadcast.” Shen Zilin said confidently, then looked at the others. “Later, when Wang Zhizhi knocks on the door, we’ll stand by the door, hold onto our gifts, don’t drop them.”

    The little babies all nodded.

    “Hey…” Wen Jiangyue, who had been struggling internally, finally couldn’t ignore her conscience, she said as Wang Zhizhi was about to continue walking, “Don’t you guys think we’re forgetting something?”

    “What?” Shen Zilin asked, he immediately checked the Lego pig in his hand, one, two, three, four, okay, all four pig trotters were there.

    “Cheng Rongrong…” Wen Jiangyue finally said the name she didn’t want to mention.

    The person who framed her, she would never be friends with her again.

    But…

    When Shen Zilin first came to their room and talked about giving gifts, Cheng Rongrong was also involved. They didn’t wait for her now… Wouldn’t it be bad…

    “Oh, we told her the meeting time. She didn’t come.” Wang Zhizhi said casually.

    “If she couldn’t get up, she can give it to him later.” Shen Zilin said indifferently.

    “Yueyue, you’re truly such a good person…” Wei Maomao said, she couldn’t help but comment, using her three-year-old vocabulary. She was the one who was framed! And Yueyue still remembered to include her! Unacceptable, unacceptable!

    Wen Jiangyue immediately understood Wei Maomao’s meaning, she blushed and looked at Cheng Tingyan.

    “If we don’t hurry, the balloon will deflate again.” Cheng Tingyan said, looking at the pig balloon in Wen Jiangyue’s hand seriously.

    “… “ Wen Jiangyue quickly changed her stance and urged them, “Hurry, hurry, let’s go!”

    The other three pairs of eyes all looked at Cheng Tingyan with admiration.

    They quietly walked to the door of the Wen family’s bedroom, two of them stood by the walls on each side, Wang Zhizhi stood at the door.

    But before he could even knock, they all heard a voice coming from inside.

    A soft but clear… singing of “Happy Birthday”…

    Wang Zhizhi’s eyes widened, he looked at the left, then at the right, helplessly, only to receive a unanimous shake of their heads.

    The dad was singing Happy Birthday to his son, interrupting now wouldn’t be a surprise, it would be rude.

    Wang Zhizhi, accepting their advice, retracted his hand, deciding to wait, wait until the singing was over before knocking.

    However, after the singing ended, it wasn’t over, it was like a runaway wild horse, heading in a direction they never expected.

    “Baby, happy birthday! Blow out the candles, then eat the cake. Isn’t Dad amazing? I used my Daddy Coins to exchange for your favorite cheesecake. It’s just that it’s so early, there are no freshly made cakes, so we can only eat these pre-packaged mini cheesecakes. When we get back, Dad will buy you two more.”

    “Dad is amazing! You got me so many mini cheesecakes, can I share them with the other kids, let them eat my birthday cake with me?”

    “Yes, you can, but you can’t tell them it’s your birthday cake.”

    “I remember, that director uncle said that Shen Zilin’s mom passed away on the day he was born, so I can’t celebrate my birthday on the show, Uncle Shen and Shen Zilin would be sad.”

    “Right, baby, you have a good memory. So don’t tell them it’s your birthday cake, just share it with them as an ordinary cake. You guys always share food anyway, just be natural.”

    “Mmm! The director uncle also said we shouldn’t mention Mom too much. I just wanted my toy back and mentioned Mom, right? I don’t remember… I miss Mom a little…”

    “We’ll go home after the filming, Mom is waiting for us at home…”

    …

    The people inside the room chatted endlessly.

    While outside… they were frozen.

    Shen Zilin’s face darkened, his gaze sweeping over the few people outside the door, he asked in a low voice, “Did a director tell you not to mention Mom?”

    No one answered.

    Shen Zilin stared at Wang Zhizhi.

    Wang Zhizhi raised his hands in surrender, took two steps back, then whispered, “Yes… Sorry, I forgot. I mentioned it a few times… When Cheng Rongrong…”

    Shen Zilin didn’t wait for Wang Zhizhi to finish his explanation, he turned to Wen Jiangyue.

    Wen Jiangyue hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly. “Assistant Director Jin told us when he came to our house.”

    Shen Zilin looked at the other two, who were just one door away, they both shook their heads.

    “Assistant Director Zeng came to our house.” Wei Maomao mouthed to Shen Zilin.

    “No one told me.” Cheng Tingyan said, after a pause. “They rarely talk to me, I didn’t know anyone came before I came here.”

    Wei Maomao thought for a moment, she walked to Shen Zilin’s side quietly. “Everyone downstairs saw us coming up. We should still knock.”

    Things had come to this, even if they retreated now, the people inside would eventually know they were here. Coming up but not knocking would only… confirm that they had heard everything.

    Shen Zilin understood this logic.

    “I’ll do it.” Shen Zilin said, taking a step towards the bedroom door, he knocked gently three times with his knuckles.

    At the same time, in the villa next door, the door of the monitoring room was pushed open forcefully.

    “Just you?” Qin Sichao asked, looking at Jin Youliang, who was already at his station in the monitoring room, his eyes narrowed slightly.

    “Xiao Zeng is in the other villa, setting up for filming.” Jin Youliang said kindly. “Are you looking for him, Director Qin? Should I call him over?”

    “No need.” Qin Sichao said, his gaze sweeping over the empty coffee table. “I’m going to the hospital to see Lao Shan, the porridge and the cake yesterday were quite delicious, who bought them?”

    “Xiao Peng prepared them, she’s the girl in charge of logistics.” Jin Youliang said, taking out his phone. “Director Qin, are you planning to bring some for Director Shi? I’ll ask her to prepare some now.”

    Qin Sichao waved his hand. “You focus on your work, no need to worry about my things, just give me her WeChat, I’ll ask her myself later if I need anything.”

    Jin Youliang, of course, had no objections.

    Seeing that Qin Sichao got Xiao Peng’s WeChat and left without saying anything more, the gentle smile on Jin Youliang’s face instantly vanished.

    Jin Youliang clenched his phone, feeling a bit frustrated.

    But frustration aside, thinking about the large sum of money he received last night, he still had to continue.

    It was interesting, he had initially thought that person was just all talk, digging up his past and telling him about Shi Dingshan’s secrets. He didn’t expect them to actually be willing to pay this time, and even promised to help him get sponsors for his own show in the future. He didn’t care about the sponsors, but the money was real, it had been deposited into his account. Although he had spent some of it on carrying out the plan, the remaining amount was still considerable.

    It seemed that person truly hated Cheng Tingyan.

    Originally, with Shi Dingshan being kept at the hospital, he had at least another day to impress Qin Sichao. But because of that unknown person, now, he had to carry out the plan today, forget about impressing him, he might even be suspected. He hoped everything would go smoothly…

    But Jin Youliang didn’t know that even before he took action, he was already being suspected.

    Qin Sichao hurriedly got into the car, the person named Xiao Peng still hadn’t replied to his message.

    He didn’t know if he was being paranoid, asking so many questions.

    He just felt that the coffee table, whether it was meticulously prepared yesterday or completely empty today, it… felt like a premonition.