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  • My Girlfriend is a Cold and Aloof Sickly Beauty 55

    Chapter 55: It Wasn’t Me, I Didn’t Do It!

    “Yes, the traffic is a bit heavy, but don’t worry, we have medicine prepared here.”

    As soon as Xiao Luohan opened her eyes, she heard a familiar voice.

    She followed the sound and saw a long-haired woman, who resembled her elder sister, talking on the phone. Beside her, a curious girl was staring intently at her.

    Meeting her gaze, the girl blinked and touched her forehead with the back of her hand.

    Xiao Luohan recognized her and remained motionless, letting the slightly cool hand test her temperature.

    “She still has a fever. We need to take her temperature and see if she needs fever reducers.” After checking her forehead, Xie Xitong didn’t withdraw her hand, but instead shook the person beside Xiao Luohan. “Hey, wake up! Your Xiao Luo has crossed over!”

    Xiao Luohan instinctively looked over and saw Jiang Xue groan as Xie Xitong shook her. The first thing she said after opening her eyes was to ask Xiao Luohan, “How are you feeling? You were coughing up blood just now! You need to take your medicine!”

    “Coughing up blood?!”

    Jiang Xue’s words brought Jiang Mei over as well. “Rinse your mouth first, and when Dr. Qi arrives, we’ll have her take a look. If it’s not good, we’ll take you to the hospital for a check-up!”

    “Dr. Qi is coming too?!” Jiang Xue was shocked. “Doesn’t she always take time off during the New Year’s holiday?”

    “We discussed this beforehand.” Jiang Mei explained while sending a message to Dr. Qi. “She’s very happy to be involved in anything related to Xiao Luo. We also asked her to help with Xiao Luo’s identification documents.”

    Jiang Xue paused, recalling the conversation she had overheard a long time ago:

    —”Okay, if she can really come over, I’ll find someone to help immediately.”

    —”Thank you.”

    —”Don’t mention it. This is more interesting than a medical miracle. Just consider it my own selfish curiosity.”

    So that’s what her older sister and Dr. Qi were talking about!

    She breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to get out of bed to help, but her limbs were sore, not from exhaustion, but just a general weakness.

    “You’re just startled,” Uncle Seuss said, entering with a kettle of hot water. He had overheard Jiang Xue’s description. “You might have nightmares for a few days, which is normal. Ordinary people experiencing this kind of thing, in more serious cases, would have PTSD. Your symptoms are mild. We’ll ask Dr. Qi to prescribe some calming medicine later.”

    Even though, for Jiang Xue, killing the Crown Prince had happened in a dream, she had still witnessed his death up close, and before Xiao Luohan had acted, she herself had thrown a porcelain jar at him, diverting his attention.

    Uncle Seuss wanted to come in and see his new “niece,” but Jiang Mei stopped him at the door. “Xiao Luo needs to rest!”

    Actually, rest was only one reason. They had noticed that Xiao Luohan, after crossing over, was only wearing a plain white undergarment. Her wedding dress and jewelry were gone, although her makeup was still intact.

    Jiang Xue had helped Xiao Luohan sit up, and she was now leaning against the headboard, wrapped in a blanket, sipping warm, slightly salty water.

    “Perhaps knowing that I dislike the Crown Prince’s things, Elder Sister took them all away,” she explained softly in response to their puzzled looks. “It’s for the best, otherwise, Uncle Seuss would have to deal with more trash.”

    The Crown Prince was dead, and she had arrived in a new world, so she should look forward.

    Twenty minutes later, Dr. Qi arrived in a hurry. After hearing Jiang Mei report Xiao Luohan’s temperature, she sat down, took out her stethoscope, listened for a while, then checked her tongue coating, examined her eyes, and finally, took her pulse.

    “Your illness is the same as Second Miss’s, just that it hasn’t been properly treated for so many years, so it looks more serious.” Withdrawing her hand, Dr. Qi said, not surprised, “But let’s treat the cold first. We’ll take it slow with the other treatment.”

    She took out some traditional Chinese medicine for relieving cold symptoms from her medical bag and skillfully wrote down the dosage. “We need to do a skin test for common anti-inflammatory drugs to see if you’re allergic. Tonight, just take these with fewer side effects. I’ll come back and check on you tomorrow.”

    “Thank you,” Xiao Luohan bowed to her, then looked at Jiang Xue. “Jiang Xue wasn’t feeling well after leaving the dream. Could you please take a look at her too?”

    Dr. Qi smiled and agreed, but when she turned to Jiang Xue, her eyes were filled with reproach.

    Jiang Xue: …

    She wanted to shout “It wasn’t me, I didn’t do it!” Besides doing her best to help Xiao Luo, she hadn’t done anything wrong!

    But she didn’t want to discuss this with Dr. Qi in front of Xiao Luohan, so she changed the subject with a deadpan expression. “Uncle Seuss said I was just startled.”

    Knowing that they had been through a lot before crossing over, Dr. Qi quickly examined her, prescribed some calming medicine, and left, reminding everyone to rest well tonight.

    Jiang Xue had already slept for a whole day. Besides being hungry and a little sore, she wasn’t tired at all.

    Sitting at the small dining table by the bed, eating the beef clear soup noodles Jiang Mei had made for her, she said to Xiao Luohan, “You go to sleep. I’ll watch over you. Tell me if you feel uncomfortable.”

    To ensure there were no problems with this transtemporal rescue, Jiang Xue had taken leave from school. After the three-day New Year’s holiday, she still had four days to help Xiao Luohan recover from her cold and adapt to the new world.

    Anyway, the most important thing this semester was the final exam. The main events were the final selection exam in April and the college entrance exam in June. As long as she kept up with her studies, it would be fine.

    Xiao Luohan replied with an “Mm,” but just looked at her quietly.

    She was wondering if it would be inappropriate to bring up the matter of repayment now.

    Jiang Xue might use “focus on recovering first” as an excuse, but that wasn’t the response she wanted to hear…

    “You have something you want to tell me,” Jiang Xue said with certainty before she could even voice her thoughts. “Just say it. My sister, A-Xi, and I also sometimes have things we’re hesitant to say, but after thinking about it, they’re not a big deal. There’s nothing we can’t talk about.”

    But before Xiao Luohan could speak, she quickly added, “Of course, if you don’t think it’s the right time yet, then don’t say it. It’s entirely up to you. Don’t force yourself to please me!”

    Personalities needed time to adjust to each other, and she didn’t expect Xiao Luohan to completely abandon her original personality and become as outspoken as herself.

    Moreover, Xiao Luohan was someone she had rescued from another world. As the saying went, “Excessive kindness can be a burden.” She didn’t want this kindness to become a shackle, restricting this girl.

    …Despite saying this, seeing Xiao Luohan pause, smile faintly at her, and reply with an “Okay,” without elaborating, she still felt a little regretful.

    It was just like when she had given her the dictionary!

    So, what did Xiao Luo want to tell her?!

    All night, Xiao Luohan rested peacefully, and Jiang Xue watched over her, gazing at her serene sleeping face, her mind filled with this question.

    In the middle of the night, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and opened Xie Xitong’s chat window on her phone.

    【Yu Xue: I think I missed an opportunity to get closer to the truth…】

    【XiXi No Xixi (Senior Year Version): What silly thing did you do again? Tell me~】

    Jiang Xue recounted the events.

    Then she was bombarded with various laughing emojis from Xie Xitong.

    【Yu Xue: You don’t have to laugh so hard!!】

    【Yu Xue: [cat punching you.gif]】

    【Yu Xue: So, do you have any ideas?】

    【XiXi No Xixi (Senior Year Version): Revealing the answer directly wouldn’t be any fun!】

    Jiang Xue: …

    Because of the Crown Prince, she was now a little allergic to “riddle people.”

    But she knew her best friend’s personality since childhood. And it was precisely because she couldn’t figure it out and had to find an answer that she had wanted to vent to someone she knew. So she didn’t ask further.

    She would wait. Anyway, they were now in a peaceful and safe world. If Xiao Luo wanted to wait for a suitable time to talk, then she would let her.

    In the dream, Xiao Luohan was back in her “mindscape.”

    The furnishings hadn’t changed, even the traces left by Jiang Xue were still there, not disappearing because of her crossing over.

    The only change was outside the window.

    It had originally been the scene Xiao Luohan wanted to see, but now it had become a distant view of a city.

    But she recognized it at a glance—it was the capital of Beiliao.

    Had Elder Sister changed her mindscape? Could she… could she meet Elder Sister again here?

    With this thought, she couldn’t help but walk to the window.

    The distant view suddenly zoomed in, the light flickering and changing, then everything stopped.

    She was surprised to see Shizhu. Shizhu was kneeling in front of her mother, and her mother was holding her letter, as if asking Shizhu to rise.

    The scene changed again, and she saw her elder sister’s aunt—the late Empress’s younger sister—taking her mother and Shizhu away from the cold palace.

    …Having left the cold palace, where were they going?

    Just as she thought this, the scene shifted to the Jiang family’s residence.

    Her mother had changed into different clothes and was sitting across from her elder sister’s aunt, talking seriously. Shizhu, also in the clothes of a Jiang family servant, was standing beside her mother, listening quietly.

    Xiao Luohan couldn’t hear what they were saying, but just by looking at her mother and Shizhu’s clothes and their complexions, she knew things must have improved.

    She breathed a soft sigh of relief and tried calling out “Elder Sister.”

    No one answered, and the red fox didn’t appear, but the next moment, the scene outside the window changed again.

    She saw a rifle leaning against a wall, then rows of targets standing in the sun.

    The rifle looked like the one in the materials Jiang Xue had sent. When she saw her elder sister’s aunt holding the rifle, aiming at the targets, Xiao Luohan finally relaxed completely.

    It seemed that Elder Sister’s dream-sending was also going smoothly.

    She thought for a moment, then ground some ink in the mindscape, spread out a sheet of paper, and left a message for her elder sister.

    【Elder Sister, I hope this letter finds you well.

    I have arrived in Jiang Xue’s world. She, her family, her best friend, and her family doctor are all very kind to me. Please don’t worry.

    My only concern now is how to repay their kindness. But I also know that I shouldn’t rush this and should let things take their natural course. I will just live here and adapt to the new environment for now.

    May Elder Sister also achieve her wish soon.】

    As soon as she finished writing, the paper was lifted by a gust of wind, floating out the window and transforming into a gyrfalcon, soaring into the sky.

    When Xiao Luohan woke up from the dream, it was already early morning.

    Soft breathing sounds came from beside the bed. She turned her head and saw Jiang Xue lying on the edge of the bed, fast asleep.

    Even though the heater was on in the room and she wouldn’t get cold, Xiao Luohan didn’t want her to sleep in such an uncomfortable position. She got out of bed, intending to help her onto the bed.

    Jiang Xue, half-asleep, suddenly felt a source of warmth and instinctively snuggled closer, unconsciously clinging to it.

    She didn’t know how long she slept, only waking up when she was startled by a knock on the door.

    …She felt that she had woken up the wrong way.

    Why, why had she, who had clearly been sleeping on the edge of the bed, woken up in bed with Xiao Luohan, clinging to her like a koala?!

  • Friend(GL) 112

    Chapter 112: If

    You Ruxu spent a long time feeding Zhou Tianzui, whose appetite wasn’t good, eating the porridge in small, hesitant bites. She said to You Ruxu, “You go eat.”

    “I’m not hungry yet.” You Ruxu said, “Are you done?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “I’m full.”

    You Ruxu looked down at her, Zhou Tianzui’s face pale, making her eyes seem even brighter. Usually so talkative, she was unusually quiet now. Zhou Tianzui looked up, meeting You Ruxu’s gaze, “What’s wrong?”

    “Nothing.” You Ruxu looked down. “I’m going to eat.”

    She returned to the table. Yu Qiao had finished eating and was clearing the dishes. She said, “I’m not staying tonight.”

    Zhou Tianzui, thinking it was because of their embrace earlier that Yu Qiao was leaving, didn’t try to persuade her to stay, just told her to be careful. After Yu Qiao left, You Ruxu picked at her cold food, her appetite gone.

    A message notification. She glanced at her phone, her eyes falling on the previous message.

    She scrolled up and clicked on it.

    She put down her chopsticks.

    Zhou Tianzui, hearing this, asked, “Are you full?”

    You Ruxu said, “Yes.”

    She cleared the table, scraping the leftover food into a container, putting the trash in a separate bag, then went to the bathroom to get a warm towel for Zhou Tianzui, helping her wash her face. Zhou Tianzui adjusted the bed slightly, still lying down, trying to move, when You Ruxu said, “Don’t move.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “It’s not that bad.”

    You Ruxu said, “It still hurts.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “What about you? Don’t you hurt?”

    You Ruxu said, “I’m fine now.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Then get up and walk around.”

    Hitting a sore spot.

    You Ruxu said, “At least I’ll be able to walk before you.”

    They bickered like children, deliberately avoiding the topic of Zhou Qiming, their work, the news online, like two turtles retreating into their shells, shutting out the outside world, their conversation light and meaningless.

    Zhou Tianzui, after washing her face, seeing You Ruxu still working on her laptop, said, “Not going to sleep?”

    You Ruxu said, “Just a couple more emails.”

    Zhou Tianzui watched her work. You Ruxu was often busy when they lived together, but they deliberately avoided each other’s work. So, whenever she saw You Ruxu working, she would go to her room, read some articles or medical journals, and wait until You Ruxu came to bed.

    Recently, however, she often watched You Ruxu work.

    Her focused attention, the quiet intensity, a comforting warmth.

    She said, “Come here.”

    You Ruxu looked up at her.

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Bring your laptop over.”

    You Ruxu hesitated, then placed the laptop on her lap and wheeled herself over to Zhou Tianzui’s bed. Zhou Tianzui moved over slightly. The bed wasn’t big, there would be no space left if they both lay down side by side. You Ruxu, worried about Zhou Tianzui’s wound, shook her head.

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Get up here.”

    You Ruxu, unable to refuse, lifted the blanket, supported herself with her hands, and sat on the bed. She opened the small table attached to the bed, placed the laptop on it, the perfect distance. You Ruxu’s slender fingers flew across the keyboard. Zhou Tianzui listened to the rhythmic clicking, her head resting near You Ruxu’s waist, inhaling her scent.

    She hadn’t felt sleepy before, but now, she wanted to sleep.

    She closed her eyes.

    You Ruxu, after sending the emails, looked down at Zhou Tianzui, her eyes closed. It had only been a few days, yet Zhou Tianzui seemed to have lost weight, not just physically, but her usual energy also seemed to have diminished. She gently brushed Zhou Tianzui’s bangs away from her forehead, and Zhou Tianzui’s eyelids fluttered open.

    Still a light sleeper.

    You Ruxu said, “Go to sleep, I’ll move to the other bed.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Don’t go.”

    You Ruxu placed the laptop on the bedside table, closed the small table, and lay down beside Zhou Tianzui. Zhou Tianzui held her hand, their palms slightly sweaty. You Ruxu’s leg was still uncomfortable. Zhou Tianzui said, “Put it on my leg.”

    “No.” You Ruxu said, “Your leg will go numb.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “It’s fine.”

    You Ruxu carefully placed her leg on Zhou Tianzui’s, then after a few seconds, took it back. They lay side by side, the narrow bed leaving no space between them, the railings on both sides like a protective barrier, enclosing them. You Ruxu turned slightly, half lying on Zhou Tianzui, listening to her rapid heartbeat, “You’ll never fall asleep like this.”

    You Ruxu said, “Then let’s not sleep.”

    Zhou Tianzui looked down at her, “What do you want to do if we don’t sleep?”

    You Ruxu said, “Talk.”

    Zhou Tianzui asked, “What do you want to talk about?”

    You Ruxu said, “Are you still going to be a doctor?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “We’ll talk about it after our trip.”

    You Ruxu asked again, “Are we still going on that trip?”

    Zhou Tianzui didn’t answer this time, just held You Ruxu’s hand tightly beneath the blanket, their fingers interlaced. You Ruxu snuggled closer, her hair brushing against Zhou Tianzui’s face. She brushed it away and said, “I’ve been thinking lately.”

    Zhou Tianzui asked, “Thinking about what?”

    “About when we first met.” You Ruxu said, “You hadn’t been at the hospital for long then.”

    Zhou Tianzui had transferred from another hospital, shortly before You Ruxu came for the interview. The director had asked her to pick You Ruxu up, and later, when You Ruxu went to their office, several people had tried to convince her to assign the liaison task to them.

    Zhou Tianzui could have easily taken the opportunity to curry favor, but she hadn’t.

    You Ruxu said, “I was very happy.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “About what?”

    You Ruxu said, “You said, you would be my contact person from now on.”

    She hadn’t understood her feelings for Zhou Tianzui back then, just that the decision made her happy, Zhou Tianzui said, “You had a crush on me back then?”

    A half-joking, half-serious question.

    Zhou Tianzui said, “You were quite reserved.”

    She hadn’t shown any signs, if she hadn’t said it now, Zhou Tianzui would never have guessed. You Ruxu said, “It wasn’t about being reserved.”

    She hadn’t wanted to impose on Zhou Tianzui’s life.

    She didn’t know about Zhou Tianzui’s sexual orientation, and even if they were both interested, their professions presented a huge obstacle. But people were strange, these issues, after she found out who Zhou Tianzui was, no longer seemed like obstacles.

    Perhaps she needed a reason to stay by Zhou Tianzui’s side.

    And atonement was the perfect excuse.

    She sometimes felt Zhou Tianzui wasn’t cruel enough to her, she wanted Zhou Tianzui to torment her, yet also to love her, but when Zhou Tianzui truly showed her affection,

    She couldn’t believe it.

    Zhou Tianzui said, “You’re so complicated.”

    You Ruxu chuckled, looking up at Zhou Tianzui, “Aren’t you complicated as well?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “I’m not complicated, when I make a decision, it’s final.”

    You Ruxu was speechless.

    After a long moment, she asked, “When did you start liking me?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Why do you want to know?”

    You Ruxu said, “Can’t I ask?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “You can.”

    You Ruxu asked again, “When?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “I don’t remember.”

    You Ruxu, lying on top of her, looked into her eyes, so close that she could see her own reflection in Zhou Tianzui’s clear, bright eyes, she remembered how those eyes looked when she smiled, when she cried, when she was happy, when she was angry, like images etched in her memory, You Ruxu’s face appearing every time she closed her eyes.

    You Ruxu said, “Forget it then, if you don’t remember.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Hug me tighter, maybe I’ll remember.”

    You Ruxu wanted to laugh, but tears welled up in her eyes, “Am I not hugging you already?”

    “That doesn’t count.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Hug me tighter.”

    You Ruxu hugged her tighter, her body half draped over Zhou Tianzui’s, one leg resting on hers, her head turned to the side, Zhou Tianzui’s arm around her shoulder, You Ruxu’s soft breaths warm against her ear.

    They embraced for a long time.

    You Ruxu said, “Do you remember now?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Almost.”

    You Ruxu looked up at Zhou Tianzui, their eyes meeting. A faint blush colored the corners of Zhou Tianzui’s eyes, a stark contrast against her pale skin, her long, thick eyelashes casting shadows, dark circles under her eyes, her expression tired and vulnerable. You Ruxu, seeing the change in her eyes, their color softening as they gazed at her, her lips parted slightly, her head tilted back, Zhou Tianzui hesitated for a moment, then lay back down on the bed.

    You Ruxu asked, “What’s wrong?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “It hurts.”

    You Ruxu said, “Then don’t move.”

    Zhou Tianzui, her arms still around You Ruxu, “I won’t move, you cooperate.”

    Before You Ruxu could ask what she meant by “cooperate,” Zhou Tianzui shifted slightly, their faces now close. You Ruxu, her eyes widening slightly in surprise, felt Zhou Tianzui’s lips on hers.

    Soft lips.

    A light, fleeting touch, then she pulled away.

    You Ruxu’s eyes reddened, one arm still around Zhou Tianzui, her other hand gently cupping Zhou Tianzui’s face, she returned the kiss.

    Closing her eyes, tears welled up, dampening their hospital gowns.

    It was unclear whose tears they were.

    The kiss was soft and lingering, You Ruxu’s hands gently cupping Zhou Tianzui’s face, as if she couldn’t get enough, leaning in again when Zhou Tianzui pulled away slightly.

    Taking the initiative, so unlike her.

    After a long moment, You Ruxu released Zhou Tianzui. They lay side by side, looking at the ceiling.

    You Ruxu said, “I’m doing the anonymous interview tomorrow.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “Okay, come back early after you’re done.”

    You Ruxu smiled faintly.

    She heard Zhou Tianzui also chuckle softly.

    They didn’t look at each other.

    Zhou Tianzui asked, “If you hadn’t found that notebook back then, would you still have come to Jindu?”

    You Ruxu looked at the fluorescent light above, its white glow tinged with other colors, a dazzling sight, and said, “No.”

    Zhou Tianzui asked, “What would you have done?”

    You Ruxu said, “I don’t know, probably listened to my mom and joined the court system?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “That would have been nice.”

    You Ruxu then asked, “What about you?”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “I would still be a doctor.”

    You Ruxu said, “That would have been nice too.”

    Zhou Tianzui said, “But there’s no ‘if’.” She looked at You Ruxu, “You came to Jindu, and we met.” You Ruxu turned her head, her eyes, still slightly red from crying, clear and bright, reflecting the light.

    Reflecting Zhou Tianzui.

    Zhou Tianzui said, “A Ran, let’s try again, okay?”

    You Ruxu looked into her eyes, then after a few seconds, wrapped her arms around Zhou Tianzui, burying her face in her embrace, holding her tightly.

  • The Devil Does Not Need to Be Defeated 504

    Chapter 504: “A Couple of Flat-Chested…”

    Unlike the Elven Homeland, the Tegor Forest at night was terrifying and eerie.

    There was no light.

    There was no scenery.

    There was only a forest shrouded in darkness.

    The moonlight and starlight were blocked by the tall trees.

    There were no sounds of birds, beasts, or insects, only a suppressed magic power and ominous aura.

    The only ones active in the Tegor Forest at this time were nocturnal monsters.

    And nocturnal monsters were usually carnivorous, ferocious, and sinister. Moreover, this was the depths of the Tegor Forest, where the lurking monsters were all high-level. Even legendary-level experts needed to be extremely cautious here.

    However, under such circumstances, a little girl, a mysterious small beast, and a young human noble were strolling through the forest.

    “Hum hum~ hum hum~ hum hum hum~~~”

    Millu, walking at the front, skipped and hummed a strange tune, completely out of sync with the eerie surroundings.

    “Haaa~~~”

    Lid, lying on Millu’s head, yawned continuously, seemingly more bored than sleepy.

    “…”

    Shien followed them with narrowed eyes, silently telling himself not to mind, not to mind. If he complained, he would lose.

    But Shien did regret it.

    He regretted following this pair out of the Elven Homeland.

    “Am I stupid? Isn’t soaking in a natural hot spring more enjoyable? Isn’t looking at elven beauties more pleasing to the eye? Or even going back and playing some wholesome games with Lucy would be better, right? Why did I come out for a night stroll because of a little curiosity?”

    Shien almost questioned his life choices.

    Mainly because he had been following this pair for so long, yet he still didn’t know what they were up to, which made Shien feel a little amused.

    “Could they just be out for a walk?”

    Shien strongly suspected this.

    Even a fool wouldn’t want to take a walk in a place like this in the middle of the night, but this pair, even if they weren’t fools, seemed a bit crazy.

    …Should he find a chance to run away?

    Shien seriously considered this.

    But his thoughts seemed to be seen through.

    “Young man, be patient.” Lid glanced at Shien and said calmly, “You have nothing to do in the Elven Homeland anyway, so why not come out and have some fun with us, right?”

    “Heh.” Shien snorted and said, “Are you sure this will be more fun than staying in the Elven Homeland?”

    Did they not know that he had a fiancée who was the most beautiful woman in the human world?

    As Shien thought this, Lid spoke again.

    “At least it will be exciting.” Lid said, as if patting its chest, “I guarantee you’ll have a good workout, the kind that makes you sweat.”

    …Could he accuse her of innuendo?

    She wasn’t even human, and she could still make innuendos?

    Amazing.

    “Forget it.” Shien sighed slightly and changed the subject. “How should I address you?”

    Before Lid could answer, Millu, who was skipping along, turned around and raised her hand.

    “I’m Millu!”

    Millu said excitedly, like a student called upon by a teacher.

    “Well, just call us by our names.” Lid said nonchalantly. “Since you know Airi and have such a good relationship with her, no one will say anything if you address us directly.”

    “Really?” Shien curled his lip. “Are you sure I don’t need to add an honorific? Princess Millu? Princess Lid?”

    “Mmm~~~” Millu puffed out her cheeks and corrected him. “It’s Millu! Mi! Lu!”

    Meaning, just call them by their names, no honorifics needed, right?

    Lid also gave Shien a meaningful look.

    “It seems you’ve guessed our identities.” Lid said lazily, “Not bad, quite clever.”

    “Heh.” Shien snorted again and said, “It’s not that I’m clever, but there aren’t many in this world who can address Airi directly and possess such magic power and aura.”

    Therefore, it wasn’t difficult for Shien to guess their identities.

    He just didn’t know who they were specifically.

    Among the Three Goddesses, Shien had already met two, and the remaining one clearly didn’t match the appearances and rumors of these two.

    Among the Six Demon Lords, excluding Sara and Airi, there were only four left.

    Who were these two?

    Shien could probably guess Lid’s identity, but he was still observing Millu.

    Whether Lid knew this or not, it looked at Shien with a meaningful expression.

    “I said you’re clever, not because you can guess our identities, but because you know how to treat us.” Lid grinned, its appearance rather ferocious. “A man favored by that girl Airi shouldn’t be afraid of us, let alone our identities and backgrounds. The fact that you can still face us with such a calm and casual attitude after knowing who we are is commendable.”

    “Yes, yes, yes!” Millu nodded vigorously. “Commendable! Commendable!”

    Shien, however, didn’t care about this.

    “Perhaps I’m just disrespectful, clueless, and arrogant.”

    Shien shrugged.

    “You are indeed a bit arrogant.” Lid didn’t deny Shien’s words and said, seemingly trying to scare him, “Knowing our identities, and still daring to follow us, aren’t you afraid we’ll attack you?”

    “Oh?” Shien seemed intrigued. “Will you attack me?”

    Lid didn’t answer but turned to Millu.

    “Do you want to attack him, Millu?”

    Lid asked casually.

    Millu actually started thinking seriously.

    Seeing this, Shien felt a chill down his spine.

    He felt that deep within this seemingly innocent, naive, and childlike little girl was something terrifying.

    And it wasn’t just about power, but something more fundamental.

    Shien had a premonition that if she decided she wanted to attack, she would do so without hesitation, killing him on the spot.

    Fortunately…

    “Millu doesn’t want to attack.” Millu seemed to have reached a conclusion, shaking her head and smiling innocently. “Big brother seems fun.”

    These words dispelled the chill in Shien’s heart.

    “Is that so?” Lid still seemed indifferent, then said to Shien, “I’m the same. I don’t want to attack you unless you’re truly a coward who can’t even face us.”

    It seemed that in their eyes, Shien was at least passable.

    But Shien was certain that if he didn’t meet their expectations, they wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.

    “Don’t think we’re cruel.” Lid sneered. “If you want to be involved with Airi, you have to bear this risk.”

    “Yes!” Millu nodded vigorously again and said seriously, “Airi is important.”

    Leaving these words behind, Millu, carrying Lid, continued skipping forward.

    Shien rolled his eyes, seemingly not caring about their words at all.

    Of course, Shien wouldn’t completely ignore their threat.

    He had heard their words, just didn’t take them too seriously.

    “A couple of flat-chested…”

    Shien muttered inwardly.

    “Hmm?”

    Millu stopped and tilted her head in confusion.

    “What did you say?”

    Lid narrowed her eyes, her expression unfriendly.

    “Nothing.” Shien naturally wouldn’t admit it and smiled brightly at them. “Let’s go, shall we continue our walk?”

    “A walk?” Millu tilted her head even further.

    “This isn’t a walk.” Lid retorted.

    “Yes, yes, yes.” Shien still looked unconcerned.

    If it were anyone else, they would definitely be angry by now, but Millu and Lid weren’t. One continued to look confused, the other seemed too lazy to argue, truly a strange and incredible pair.

    They continued forward.

    Until a certain moment, Shien’s eyes narrowed, and he abruptly stopped.

    He sensed a familiar magic power.

    That magic power was somewhat evil, dark, chaotic, and ferocious, making him feel very uncomfortable.

    Shien’s expression turned grim.

    Not only Shien, but even Millu seemed to have a fierce glint in her eyes, baring her teeth like a little lioness.

    “Do you sense it?”

    Only Lid still looked indifferent, looking at Shien with a smirk.

    Shien didn’t say anything, but suddenly accelerated, his figure flashing like a ghost as he dashed forward.

    The sealed Holy Sword at his waist had already been drawn.

    And as Shien drew his sword, a dark figure suddenly lunged out from the depths of the forest ahead, like a beast lying in ambush.

    “Roar!”

    A ferocious roar echoed from its mouth.

    It was a terrifying monster.

    It had a wolf’s head, a snake’s head growing from its chest, six arms, some on its back, some on its legs, and a tail on its face. It had no natural biological characteristics at all, a grotesque and horrifying chimera, making one feel physically uncomfortable just by looking at it.

    Such a creature wasn’t a monster, nor any known life form in this world.

    Yet, Shien knew its name.

    —A [Demonized Being].

    This monster was used as a sacrifice, as nourishment for Demon Lord larvae, born in a magic ritual called the “Demonization Ritual,” formed from monsters and demons driven mad by the ritual, killing and devouring each other, absorbing each other’s flesh and magic power.

    “Roar!”

    The grotesque Demonized Being pounced on Shien like a predator.

    Its speed was so fast that only a blur could be seen, proving its high level and strength.

    But Shien’s eyes flashed coldly as he charged forward without dodging or evading.

    The Demonized Being’s ferocious wolf’s maw opened wide, biting down on Shien’s head.

    “Clang!”

    At this moment, a sword light, like a crescent moon in the darkness, flashed.

    “Swish!”

    The grotesque Demonized Being didn’t even have time to react before it was decapitated by this extremely fast slash, its wolf head flying into the sky.

    “[Bestow: Combustion].”

    Shien chanted the magic spell in a cold voice.

    Astonishing magic power erupted from his body.

    “Boom—!”

    In the dark forest, flames suddenly burst forth, illuminating the surroundings.

    The sudden flames ignited the surrounding forest, burning intensely.

    Shien stood amidst the sea of fire, watching as the Demonized Being was burned to ashes, then finally stopped.

    But his expression was still grim.

    At this moment, Millu and Lid approached him.

    “It seems you really hate this monster.”

    Lid smiled, seemingly satisfied.

    “Burned it! Burned it!”

    Millu cheered repeatedly, running around excitedly in the sea of fire, completely ignoring the flames, moving freely without even a single spark on her.

    Shien turned to Lid.

    “What’s going on?” Shien asked stiffly, “Why is there a Demonized Being here?”

    This question, instead of being answered, was met with a counter-question from Lid.

    “I’d like to ask you, why do you think there wouldn’t be a Demonized Being here?”

    Lid’s counter-question stunned Shien for a moment, then he fell silent.

    Seeing this, Lid nodded.

    “You know, right? The so-called Demonized Beings are the product of rituals performed by the Old Demon Faction, essentially sacrifices and nourishment, monsters formed from demons and monsters driven mad by the ritual, killing and devouring each other.” Lid said with an impassive face, “Therefore, this ritual needs to be performed in a place with many demons or monsters, and the greater their number and level, the better.”

    That’s why the Garibaldi family, who colluded with the Old Demon Faction, targeted the Atlus Gorge, because there were many high-level monsters there.

    And then…

    “The Tegor Forest is the largest monster forest in this world, even containing many legendary monsters that have existed since ancient times.”

    Lid sneered.

    “Such a good place for the ritual, do you think those bastards from the Old Demon Faction’s [Original Demon] wouldn’t have their eyes on it?”

    This was the reason why there was a Demonized Being here.

  • Reborn to Stew Soup (GL) 118

    Chapter 118: Forming Teams

    Mi Hongdou, perhaps because she lived closer and woke up earlier, was the first celebrity to arrive at the filming location.

    From the county town to the filming location, she estimated it was a little over an hour’s drive. Getting out of the car, she saw the crew members with their cameras, ready and waiting. It seemed they had arrived at their final destination, no more transfers.

    In the distance, she could see some houses, like a small mountain village. Fortunately, Qiao Rubai hadn’t abandoned them in the wilderness as she had feared. Mi Hongdou was relieved, but also a little disappointed about the wilderness survival skills she had diligently studied. In a populated area, her knowledge of building shelters, making fire, filtering water, and setting traps would probably be useless.

    Wenlong Mountain was a designated scenic area, but not very famous at this time, certainly not a popular tourist destination. Many hadn’t even heard of it. Mi Hongdou vaguely remembered that in her previous life, a few years later, a popular reality show, filmed in several lesser-known scenic areas across the country, had boosted tourism in those locations, even turning some previously unremarkable villages into tourist attractions. The local scenery, specialties, cuisine, even the rooms where the celebrities stayed, and the activities they participated in, became tourist attractions.

    Wenlong Mountain had benefited greatly from that show. Firstly, because of its diverse landscape, mountains, rivers, valleys, offering a variety of activities. Secondly, the abundance of local ingredients made for excellent farmhouse cuisine. And thirdly, the beautiful scenery and spacious area allowed for the development of villa-style accommodations, generating significant rental income. Later, investors, seeing the potential, and with the government’s push for tourism development, built a wildlife park and an amusement park, further boosting tourism.

    Mi Hongdou, seeing the houses in the distance, initially thought it was the village from that reality show in her previous life, that Qiao Rubai was planning to develop Wenlong Mountain ahead of time. But after looking around, she felt that it wasn’t quite the same.

    Was it because it was a few years earlier, and the development hadn’t started yet? Or was her memory faulty? As she pondered, the other cars arrived.

    There were eight participants in total. Five from “Imperial Secrets”: Mi Hongdou, Ji Junxin, Jiang Lingling, Zhang Zijing, and Jiang Duo. And three from “Promise in Troubled Times”: Lu Changhuai, Yu Naihao, and Bao Yueqiao…

    Mi Hongdou had only learned two days ago that it was a collaboration between two productions. She had thought it would only be the “Imperial Secrets” cast. And even if she had known, she wouldn’t have expected Qiao Rubai to invite the “Promise in Troubled Times” cast. After all… the relationship between the two films was… delicate.

    Not to mention Director Pan’s dislike for Gu Tiansheng, the director of “Promise in Troubled Times,” they had even held their press conferences at the same venue, one day apart… And both films premiered on the same day… “Imperial Secrets” sparked a yuri frenzy online, while “Promise in Troubled Times” attracted a large BL fanbase… Filmed around the same time, released almost simultaneously, their box office numbers neck and neck, they were competitors.

    Although both films were successful, they were still competing. And for Qiong Yu, “Imperial Secrets” was their major investment, the higher the box office, the greater their profit. As for “Promise in Troubled Times,” they only had Bao Yueqiao in it, its box office success didn’t benefit them much.

    Mi Hongdou didn’t understand Qiao Rubai’s reasoning in bringing the two casts together for a reality show… well, a businessman’s mind was unfathomable.

    But as a participant, she felt… a little strange.

    And she thought Pan Xiang probably felt even stranger.

    Pan Xiang had told her that the films “The Kettle and the Heart” and “Spy Game” were based on her novels. But after discovering Pan Xiang’s Jinjiang page through Jiang Lingling, and reading her novels, Mi Hongdou realized that “Promise in Troubled Times,” currently in theaters, was also based on one of Pan Xiang’s novels. The film had changed the title, and she had only realized it after reading the reviews.

    Pan Xiang was the true winner here. One film adapted from her novel, another mostly written by her, both films having been in theaters for a month, their combined box office exceeding four billion yuan, what an achievement!

    Unfortunately, Pan Xiang’s identity as a writer was still a secret. Mi Hongdou imagined how conflicted Pan Xiang must have felt when Director Pan criticized “Promise in Troubled Times.”

    She was only half right…

    One film sparked a yuri frenzy, the other a BL frenzy, Pan Xiang’s feelings were more than just “conflicted”… she felt like she would never be able to write a proper heterosexual romance again!

    That morning, Mi Hongdou, the first to arrive, eagerly waited for Ji Junxin.

    The second to arrive was Jiang Lingling, followed by an RV, which, according to her, was filled with things Dong Yuannan had prepared for her, so much that she didn’t even know what was in it. She felt it was a bit excessive, bringing so much luggage for a twelve-day reality show, traveling across the country. But Dong Yuannan insisted. Although the show hadn’t forbidden it, Jiang Lingling doubted she would need any of it.

    Mi Hongdou agreed, thinking that Jiang Lingling’s luggage was enough for several people to live comfortably for twelve days, what was the point of the reality show then? The crew probably hadn’t stopped her earlier because they wanted to film it, to create some buzz, they would definitely confiscate some of it later. She herself had brought two suitcases of clothes and necessities, which shouldn’t be confiscated, but she had a feeling…

    As they were discussing the RV and the luggage, the next group arrived.

    Two cars, one after the other. Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao from “Promise in Troubled Times.”

    About three years ago, they had starred in Gu Tiansheng’s “The Kettle and the Heart,” based on Pan Xiang’s novel. The story was about the son of the Wulin Alliance leader infiltrating the Demonic Sect, teaching their young leader a sinister martial art, then developing feelings for him and trying to save him, ending with his own death and the young leader’s suicide.

    Lu Changhuai, then in his early twenties, played the older master, while the fifteen-year-old Yu Naihao played the young sect leader. The film was a hit, thanks to their good looks, their compelling performances, the strong chemistry between their characters, and the tragic ending.

    Gu Tiansheng seemed to have a natural talent for melancholic tragedies, his films always emotionally resonant, his characters unforgettable.

    Before “The Kettle and the Heart,” both Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao were unknown. But the film made them famous, and their on-screen pairing became a popular topic. When Gu Tiansheng was filming “Spy Game,” many hoped they would be in it, but they weren’t. Rumor had it that Gu Tiansheng, worried about their deep immersion in their previous roles, had kept them apart after filming and hadn’t invited them for his next project. Many were disappointed, but Gu Tiansheng didn’t change his mind.

    Now, after almost three years, they were reunited in his new film, “Promise in Troubled Times,” which, initially, had been even more anticipated than “Imperial Secrets.” Even now, their fan base was much larger than the newly formed “Sweet Red Bean Soup” group.

    Mi Hongdou had naturally seen “Promise in Troubled Times.” It was very different from “Imperial Secrets.”

    It was a story about a corrupt dynasty, warring factions, and the rise of a new empire. Yu Naihao played the son of a rebel leader. During their uprising, he found and saved an injured stranger. The amnesiac stranger, played by Lu Changhuai, stayed with the rebel army out of gratitude. His martial arts skills made him a valuable asset, and he formed a brotherly bond with Yu Naihao. But after the dynasty’s fall, the seemingly united rebel factions turned on each other, fighting for the throne. And then, the foreign army at the border started to invade. Amidst this chaos, Lu Changhuai’s character, by chance, encountered someone from his past, his memory returned, and he discovered his true identity as a foreign prince. He was persuaded to return to his kingdom, took command of the army, and invaded, defeating several rebel factions. Then his father died, and he ascended the throne, his campaign even more aggressive.

    Until… he encountered Yu Naihao’s father’s army, and Yu Naihao, the scholarly, unarmed young man, standing at the front lines. After a night of peaceful discussion, Lu Changhuai, now the emperor, agreed to support Yu Naihao’s father’s claim to the throne. The terms of their agreement, however, remained a secret.

    The war resumed, then quickly ended. Yu Naihao’s father became emperor, then abdicated three days later, making Yu Naihao the new ruler. Lu Changhuai, having formed a peace treaty with Yu Naihao, retreated to the border, his army not harming a single person or taking a single thing.

    He was praised for his honor and righteousness.

    But the audience, seeing him standing at the border, gazing longingly towards the new kingdom, were heartbroken. Such a tragic separation!

    Mi Hongdou also felt the same. Gu Tiansheng, even without killing off any of the main characters, still managed to create such a heartbreaking story, it was a new level of emotional torture. No wonder the box office numbers were so high.

    As a fellow member of a currently popular film’s CP fandom, Mi Hongdou naturally paid more attention to Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao.

    Lu Changhuai seemed much the same as during “The Kettle and the Heart.” Yu Naihao, however, had changed drastically. He was only fifteen then, now eighteen, transformed from a cute teenager to a handsome young man. One strong and resolute, the other refined and gentle, standing together, they did have chemistry… Mi Hongdou thought, looking at the two.

    Compared to her and Jiang Lingling, newcomers with just one film, Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao were already quite famous. But they still politely greeted Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling. However, not being close, they stood apart, chatting separately.

    Then Zhang Zijing arrived, greeting Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling with a smile. They responded politely, just like during “Imperial Secrets,” and then the conversation died. Zhang Zijing’s smile stiffened, but he maintained his composure and went to talk to Lu Changhuai.

    “So that’s what a third wheel looks like,” Jiang Lingling said to Mi Hongdou, glancing at the three men exchanging pleasantries.

    Hey! This is a 24/7 live stream!

    Mi Hongdou was both amused and exasperated. Although she knew that everything they said would be broadcast, she still had to stop Jiang Lingling before she said anything more.

    “Ahem, we’re being recorded, you know…” she whispered.

    But Jiang Lingling didn’t care.

    “It’s okay, I think the audience agrees with me!” she said, looking at the nearest camera and smiling. “What do you think, everyone?”

    Jiang Lingling’s live stream page was flooded with the number “1,” a sign of agreement.

    Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao’s pages were filled with comments criticizing Zhang Zijing for interrupting their “pink atmosphere.”

    And Ji Junxin’s page… although she was just sitting in the car, looking out the window, the comments were full of encouragement: “Xinxin, fighting! Hurry up!” “Don’t be overshadowed by the lovebirds next door!” “The young Empress is waiting for you!”

    If Mi Hongdou wasn’t being filmed, but watching the live stream, she would have understood Qiao Rubai’s intentions. Two productions, one yuri, one BL, with both in her hands, she had the world…

    With most of the cast having arrived, Mi Hongdou was getting anxious. It had been over a day since their last contact, had something happened to Ji Junxin? … Had she cancelled at the last minute?

    Jiang Duo’s arrival rescued Zhang Zijing from the awkward small talk. The six of them, having exchanged greetings, naturally formed three groups of two, their relationships evident.

    Just as Mi Hongdou’s anxiety intensified, Jiang Lingling asked about a “three highs” diet. Mi Hongdou, remembering Dong Yuannan’s health problems in her previous life, put aside her worries and patiently explained.

    Just then, Bao Yueqiao and Ji Junxin arrived, one after the other. And Mi Hongdou, engrossed in her explanation, didn’t notice until the director’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker.

    “Everyone’s here! Line up, line up, yes, by the small yellow flag, line up. We’re about to start filming!”

    Everyone’s here? Ji Junxin is here too? What yellow flag? Mi Hongdou looked around, confused, then realized that they were all… standing in pairs, by a flagpole. The small yellow flag was right there. She was about to look for Ji Junxin when the director spoke again. “Okay, everyone’s here, let’s begin!”

    She saw Ji Junxin, separated from her by Zhang Zijing and Jiang Duo.

    Annoying! Those two are the worst!

    With the cameras rolling, she couldn’t stare at Ji Junxin. After confirming her location, Mi Hongdou looked away, missing Ji Junxin’s resentful glance.

    Hmph! She didn’t even look at me! Ji Junxin, also having missed Mi Hongdou’s glance, was unhappy.

    Always playing with Jiang Lingling! No loyalty at all! Her inner complaints were endless.

    The eight celebrities lined up. From left to right: Lu Changhuai, Yu Naihao, Jiang Lingling, Mi Hongdou, Zhang Zijing, Jiang Duo, Ji Junxin, and Bao Yueqiao.

    “So, before we enter the world of , let’s form teams. Two people per team, free choice.”

    As soon as he finished, Mi Hongdou instinctively took a step forward, then stopped as the director continued, “Okay, let’s start from the right. Bao Yueqiao, who do you want to team up with?”

    Bao Yueqiao, petite and delicate, looked around nervously. The space to her right was empty, so her gaze landed on Ji Junxin.

    Ji Junxin had a bad feeling.

    Bao Yueqiao smiled sweetly. “Sister Junxin.”

    No… Ji Junxin’s carefully maintained smile almost cracked. Yueqiao, you are making it difficult to be friends!

    “Haha, Ji Junxin, I knew you didn’t want to be with Bao Yueqiao!” the director said, his voice full of amusement.

    We’re from the same company, why are you doing this to me?

    The director’s words were too much, was he even from Qiong Yu? Ji Junxin couldn’t agree with him, especially seeing Bao Yueqiao’s crestfallen expression. She said weakly, “That’s not…”

    “Okay! Based on both your choices, Bao Yueqiao and Ji Junxin, Team One! The contract is now in effect!” The director’s voice cut her off.

    Wait! Ji Junxin was stunned. She had just been trying to be polite, and he had just assigned them like that!

    Mi Hongdou felt a blow. What was this! Where was the “free choice”? No time for discussion, just randomly assigned! Qiao Rubai, where are you, is this director crazy!

    Jiang Lingling clicked her tongue. “That girl, Bao Yueqiao, not only did she steal Zhang Zijing’s attention, but she also broke up a CP, she’s going to lose fans.” What a hero among single dogs, I salute you! Or perhaps she’s not single? Doesn’t matter, I salute you on behalf of all single dogs! And I got the little chef, even if they confiscate my luggage, it will be worth it. Jiang Lingling’s barely concealed excitement didn’t escape Mi Hongdou’s notice. “So, who are you teaming up with?” she asked, her tone dark.

    “You, of course,” Jiang Lingling said, as if it were obvious.

    “Heh.” Mi Hongdou chuckled meaningfully and looked away.

    Jiang Lingling, after a moment, realized what Mi Hongdou was laughing about.

    “No, I didn’t break up the CP! I just… took advantage of the situation. No, I’m planning to take advantage!” she quickly clarified, looking at the camera.

    The viewers agreed, they needed several screens just for their favorites, but Jiang Lingling seemed interesting, she deserved her own dedicated camera. Four camera angles per screen weren’t enough! Time to buy more computers!

    “Okay, Jiang Duo, who do you choose?” The director continued.

    Jiang Duo knew her own unpopularity in the “Imperial Secrets” crew. She had initially wanted to team up with Bao Yueqiao, since she didn’t know the two male leads from “Promise in Troubled Times,” and breaking up a CP was taboo. But Bao Yueqiao had been chosen first, and she had even broken up the currently popular Ji Junxin and Mi Hongdou CP… Now, Jiang Duo’s options were limited… Jiang Lingling and Mi Hongdou were both hostile towards her…

    “I choose… the Emperor, of course.” She thought that since two crews were invited, it must be for cross-promotion, so she would play along.

    “The Emperor? We have three emperors here, which one? Only two people per team, you can’t have all three.” The director’s voice boomed.

    Everyone, including the online viewers, heard the virtual slap in the face.

    Although those who had seen “Imperial Secrets” knew which emperor she was referring to, her “of course” sounded incredibly arrogant, the director’s retort well-deserved.

    Even Mi Hongdou, who was annoyed with the director, had to give him credit.

    “Aiya, I’m getting second-hand embarrassment…” Jiang Lingling leaned forward, glanced at Jiang Duo, then quickly retreated, shuddering.

    The viewers agreed, they needed two dedicated cameras just for Jiang Lingling’s reactions!

    “Of… of course, it’s the Emperor from our film, Zhang Zijing,” Jiang Duo replied, forcing a smile.

    Zhang Zijing’s face burned. He hated being called “Emperor,” especially since his role in “Imperial Secrets” was a minor one, mostly confined to the harem, with few battle scenes, and his character was even a bit of a scumbag. And being called “Emperor” in “Imperial Secrets” was one thing, but being compared to the two emperors in “Promise in Troubled Times”… he had some self-awareness, unlike Jiang Duo.

    The director, letting Jiang Duo go, now targeted Zhang Zijing. “Look, our Jiang Duo’s Emperor is blushing, must be the thrill of being chosen. Zhang Zijing, you wouldn’t reject your Noble Consort, would you?”

    I would, in a heartbeat!

    But remembering Dajin Entertainment’s instructions to maintain a good relationship with Jiang Duo during this reality show, Zhang Zijing, his face burning, reluctantly agreed to this disastrous pairing.

    The next two pairings, Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling, Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao, were formed without any drama, well, they didn’t really have any other options.

    Yu Naihao, the youngest, couldn’t help but complain after the teams were finalized, “Choosing in order, where’s the ‘free choice’? The later ones had no options at all.”

    “Oh, Yu Naihao, are you unhappy with your team? Want a chance to switch?” The director’s voice boomed.

    Yu Naihao jumped, grabbed Lu Changhuai’s arm, and shook his head vigorously. “No! I’m not switching!”

    Lu Changhuai, amused and exasperated, patted his head.

    “They’re flirting next door,” Jiang Lingling said, glancing at Mi Hongdou. “Although I just got the leftovers, I think I’m going to lose some fans.”

    “Ask your godfather to buy them back!” Mi Hongdou, also frustrated at not being chosen by Ji Junxin, retorted.

    Jiang Lingling seriously considered it, then looked at the camera. “Don’t lose too many, my godfather might actually do it…”

    Mi Hongdou: “…”

    “Okay, the teams are finalized. Now it’s time for team uniforms.”

    Four covered trays were brought in.

    “Choose freely, it’s all luck,” the director announced generously.

    The four teams each chose a tray. After removing the covers, they didn’t see any uniforms, just small pieces of colored cloth.

    “Okay, you’ve all made your choices. These are the colors of your team uniforms for the next twelve days.”

    Four more people arrived, each carrying a large bundle of cloth, which they handed to the teams.

    Everyone had a bad feeling.

    Inside the bundles, it wasn’t exactly uniforms, but… strange clothing. Ancient-style tunics and pants, made of plain cotton, no buttons, just tied with a sash, the tunic long enough to cover their buttocks, the pants also tied with a drawstring… although single-layered, the fabric was thick, it should be warm enough in this late September, early October weather.

    Ji Junxin and Bao Yueqiao, who had chosen light yellow, examined their clothes. It seemed… acceptable, they just didn’t know how they would look when worn.

    Mi Hongdou and Jiang Lingling’s luck was also good. They got light green, a very pale green that strangely suited the scenery.

    The luckiest ones were Lu Changhuai and Yu Naihao. Two handsome men in flowing white robes, they looked like immortals.

    “Okay, you’ve all seen your uniforms. Now, I have to emphasize one point. You can only bring the clothes you’re wearing underneath, everything else will be confiscated. You have to wear your team uniforms during the day, and we’ll provide matching pajamas for the night.” The director paused. “Now, I’m going to introduce something very, very, very useful! Important things must be said three times.”

    Four more people came forward, their hands open.

    Mi Hongdou, seeing what they held, thought, Qiao Rubai, you’ve gone crazy.

  • Reincarnated as a Holy Nun, I Refuse to Lose! v2c37

    Volume 2: Witch Kingdom Arc

    Chapter 37: Saintess? Protagonist?

    Luo Yuxi looked around Apal, eerily quiet, with only a few people around. Even the Direct Nuns and Punishment Nuns, usually ubiquitous, were nowhere to be seen. And the usual knight guards at the church entrances were missing.

    “Why is it so quiet? And why are there only trainee nuns?”

    Luo Yuxi, feeling her black and white habit stand out even more, ran to the 12 bishops’ meeting hall. The twelve chairs, symbols of their authority, were empty.

    “Sister! It’s great you’re here! The Saintess is on a hunger strike, please go see her!”

    “Hmm? ‘Sister’?”

    Luo Yuxi turned and saw a trainee nun in gray robes, her anxious expression making Luo Yuxi wonder if she was being addressed. Since all the other nuns were gone, Luo Yuxi, as a Direct Nun, was the highest-ranking person here.

    “So she’s talking to me? And what’s this about the Saintess being on a hunger strike…?”

    As Luo Yuxi turned, the trainee nun’s eyes widened, and she rushed over, her eyes sparkling.

    “Pink hair and eyes! You’re Lady Luo Yuxi, the one who single-handedly defeated all the Saintess candidates and then fought the Seven Deadly Sins in the Witch Kingdom!!”

    “Uh… my name is Luo Yuxi, but I don’t know about the rest…”

    Luo Yuxi scratched her head, wondering how such rumors had spread. She had been in the Witch Kingdom, how could she have done all that?

    “But I heard you were ambushed by the Seven Deadly Sins and disappeared. Otherwise, you would be the Saintess now.”

    “Ambushed? I was swallowed by the Gluttony Witch. And there were only three Deadly Sins there, and I was just watching… I don’t know how it turned into me being ambushed, but…” Luo Yuxi realized something was wrong. A new Saintess had been appointed while she was gone.

    “Who’s the current Saintess?! And what about the previous one?”

    Luo Yuxi grabbed the trainee nun’s arm, her voice filled with urgency. The trainee nun, startled, whispered,

    “The Word Spirit Saintess led the Church’s forces to the Holy War. The current Saintess is a silver-haired, golden-eyed girl brought back by the previous Saintess from her travels…”

    “Holy War, silver-haired, golden-eyed…”

    Luo Yuxi felt like she had been struck by lightning, all the twisted plot points snapping back into place. The protagonist, who should have emerged from the Saintess candidates, had been brought back by the Word Spirit Saintess instead.

    “I have to go to the Holy War!”

    Luo Yuxi had wanted to prevent the war. After all, according to the backstory, the Church was the strongest human faction, not only because of their First Order powerhouse, but also because they possessed nearly a third of the world’s high-Order individuals, excluding witches.

    “If the Holy War breaks out, both the Church and the Witch Kingdom will suffer heavy losses, and the border will be undefended…”

    Luo Yuxi started running, but the trainee nun stopped her.

    “Wait, Lady Luo Yuxi! All the Direct Nuns and bishops have gone to the battlefield! And the current Saintess is on a hunger strike, she needs your help!”

    “They all went?!”

    “Yes…”

    “…”

    Luo Yuxi stopped, realizing she couldn’t do anything alone, without Yun Keke and Yu Keke. And such a large-scale war required time for troop movements and strategic planning.

    “Alright, take me to the new Saintess.”

    “Understood, Lady. This way…”

    Luo Yuxi followed the trainee nun to a luxuriously decorated room, the colorful stained-glass ceiling captivating her. Golden bars on the walls, reaching from floor to ceiling, made the room look like a giant birdcage.

    “What a strange decoration…”

    “We’re here. Please go in alone, Lady. The Word Spirit Saintess instructed that only two people are allowed inside at a time…”

    “Understood. Really, it’s just the Saintess position, it wasn’t like this in the game…”

    “Game…?”

    The trainee nun tilted her head in confusion, but Luo Yuxi ignored her and entered the cage-like room, marveling at the extravagant decorations. Gold was everywhere.

    “Although the Holy War isn’t urgent, it’s better to hurry. I can finally meet my in-game daughter, I’m so excited~”

    Luo Yuxi walked through a stained-glass partition and saw a silver-haired girl, her long hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, a picture of serene beauty. As if sensing Luo Yuxi’s presence, the girl slowly turned around, her golden eyes like precious gems, tears shimmering in the corners. Luo Yuxi felt her heart skip a beat.

    “Who are you…?”

    “My goodness, she’s even more beautiful than in the game! My beloved daughter~”

    Luo Yuxi approached, admiring the girl’s milky skin and rosy lips. She understood why witches fell for her at first sight. Even Luo Yuxi was smitten.

    “You must be the new Saintess. I’m Luo Yuxi.”

    Luo Yuxi smiled gently, trying to comfort the teary-eyed girl, who, although hesitant, introduced herself.

    “Xia. That’s my name…”

    …

  • Reincarnated as a Holy Nun, I Refuse to Lose! v2c36

    Volume 2: Witch Kingdom Arc

    Chapter 36: The Key to the Divine Gate

    Kshira looked at the churning black mist, corroding the walls of the room, revealing golden magic circles beneath. After a few moments, she looked at the figure sitting amidst the darkness.

    “My, my, such a terrifying attack. If I had been hit by that, my soul would have been destroyed… tsk, tsk…”

    Luo Yuxi, feeling emboldened, looked at Kshira defiantly. Helena, the bed beneath her having dissolved, stood up.

    “The chains are loose…”

    Helena looked at the chains on her wrists, the divine power within them dissipating like iron in acid, turning gray and crumbling into dust.

    “Quickly, Goddess of Light, teach your naughty little sister a lesson~!”

    Luo Yuxi eagerly awaited the Goddess’s tearful pleas for mercy, but Kshira remained calm, simply pointing at Helena.

    “Your Goddess doesn’t seem capable of defeating me~”

    “Eh?”

    Luo Yuxi looked at Kshira’s confident expression and had a bad feeling. She turned to see that only the chain on Helena’s right arm had broken, her neck and left hand were still bound, and the shackles on her ankles rattled.

    “N-No way…”

    “Only your right hand is free, how can you fight me~?”

    Kshira laughed triumphantly. Luo Yuxi looked at Helena, like a wilting white lotus, her white and gold dress torn and tattered, her skin exposed. As Luo Yuxi hid behind her, she couldn’t resist taking advantage of the situation.

    “Come on, hit me again! Use that attack again! Wait, so smooth…”

    Luo Yuxi taunted Kshira while groping Helena’s exposed waist, but Kshira wasn’t going to give her a chance.

    “You think the same trick will work twice…?”

    The space around Luo Yuxi froze again, the familiar feeling of suffocation returning. She struggled, but she couldn’t even move a finger.

    “Die…”

    “Ah! I’m dead…!”

    “…”
    “…”

    Nothing happened. Luo Yuxi, confused, checked her body, unharmed. Kshira looked at her hands, puzzled. She had used her divine power to crush Luo Yuxi, yet she was still standing there.

    “A little bit of my power has returned, not much, but enough…”

    “You still want to defy me?!”

    Kshira looked at Helena, who was glowing faintly, realizing what had happened. Even a single hand was enough to cause trouble.

    “I just had a change of heart. It’s a sister’s duty to correct her misguided sibling, isn’t it?”

    “Heh, what’s the point of saying that now? You think I’m afraid to kill you?!”

    “What about this…?”

    Helena raised her right hand, a crystal key, glowing with blue light, materializing in her palm. Kshira’s eyes widened.

    “The Key to the Divine Gate!”

    “You recognize it? Good…”

    “Heh, you’re offering this in exchange for your follower’s life? Fine, I’ll accept—”

    “No, it’s not for you…”

    “???”

    Before Kshira could react, Helena grabbed Luo Yuxi and embedded the key in her chest.

    “It seems you have another mission now. Save the nuns, then come and save me, okay~?”

    “Eh?”

    Helena smiled gently at Luo Yuxi. Kshira, seeing this, exploded into a black mist, rushing towards them.

    “Stop!!!”

    Helena pushed Luo Yuxi, who fell through a square portal that appeared behind her. The last thing she heard was Helena’s gentle “Good luck.”

    [Divine Key]

    [Loaded.]

    [New Ability: Divine Word]

    [An ability imbued with the power of the Goddess of Light’s laws. The words of a god. Usable once per day. The greater the change to reality, the greater the cost.]

    [Dark Goddess Kshira’s Affection: -100%]

    [Now permanently hostile.]

    [Title Activated]

    [Acting Goddess of Light][First Apostle]

    “What happened…?”

    Luo Yuxi looked at the information on the panel, still dazed. She recognized the familiar ceiling with its divine markings.

    “I’m back…”

    Luo Yuxi stood up, looking at the Goddess statue and the magnificent cathedral. She was back in the Church’s main hall. She checked her surroundings, then, seeing no one, opened her collar and looked at her chest. Her previously ample bosom now bore key-shaped marks, strangely alluring.

    “That wasn’t a dream…”

    Luo Yuxi quickly got dressed and rushed out, heading towards the 12 bishops’ meeting room. She had to tell them about the fake Goddess.

    “What if they don’t believe me? Whatever, I’ll tell them anyway. Someone might believe me. And the Seat of Sacrifice seems approachable!”

    Luo Yuxi ran, then slowed down, looking around in confusion. The Church seemed familiar yet unfamiliar. She looked at the vast Goddess Plaza.

    “Why is it so quiet…?“

  • Malicious Female Lead’s Guide to Causing Trouble [Quick Transmigration] 59p3

    Chapter Fifty-Nine p3

    Bo Chi was most afraid of these small insects, her face turned pale with fright, and she couldn’t help but take a few steps back.

    Just as she steadied herself, the spider that was weaving its web stopped, and suddenly said: “Chi Niang, aren’t you afraid of your soul being scattered if you get so close to that Buddha statue?“

    Bo Chi stared at the spider blankly.

    The spider’s puzzled voice sounded again: “What are you staring at me for? These insects are my prey, I won’t share them with you. You should focus on the passing scholars, they are your food.“

    After confirming that it was the spider that was talking, Bo Chi’s pupils shook, and she almost screamed.

    Her face was pale, she chuckled and responded, then carefully moved to the side, away from both the Buddha statue on the high platform and the spider, and began to receive the memory and plot with a cold sweat.

    This was an ancient world with ghosts and monsters, very similar to the story of A Chinese Ghost Story, where a scholar stayed overnight in an ancient temple and met a female ghost. But in this world, the scholar was not the protagonist, but cannon fodder, killed by the female ghost at the beginning.

    The female ghost got a taste of it, and wanted to kill the second lucky person, but the newcomer was an exorcist, who directly captured her in a demon-subduing bag and began to refine her soul.

    During the following forty-nine days, the exorcist subdued demons and eliminated monsters along the way, experiencing many things. And just as the female ghost was about to die, the exorcist’s enemy came to her door and fought with her, both sides seriously injured.

    The female ghost seized the opportunity and desperately perished together with the exorcist, successfully killing the protagonist with her weak and insignificant identity, turning this world into a tragedy.

    A bad premonition suddenly arose in Bo Chi’s heart. She tremblingly opened Yu Zhao’s task, and saw a line clearly written on it – [Kill the female ghost Chi Niang. ]

    Heh, hehe.

    Obviously, Yu Zhao was now the protagonist of the story, the tragically dead exorcist.

    Thinking of the setting where the exorcist’s whole family was killed by a ghost, which made her extremely hate demons, Bo Chi wanted to cry. According to this setting, how could she hook up with Yu Zhao?

    In modern terms, she and Yu Zhao were now natural enemies!

    Bo Chi was completely dejected, squatting in a corner, depressed.

    When Jin Xi stepped into the temple, she didn’t react at first. After realizing that this white figure was a human-shaped creature, she immediately turned pale with fright, and screamed: “There’s a ghost!“

    This scream also startled Bo Chi, who jumped up and ran outside, crying: “Ahhh, monsters and ghosts, go away!“

    Jin Xi: “?”

    Her footsteps slowed down, and Jin Xi looked at her in horror, and hesitated: “You’re not a ghost?“

    Bo Chi was dumbfounded, and said belatedly: “Oh, you’re talking about me.“

    Jin Xi was stunned, and said in confusion: “Are you human or ghost? Why are you alone in this deserted temple?“

    Of course, Bo Chi wouldn’t tell the truth, and said seriously: “I’m naturally human, and a good person. The reason why I’m staying in the temple is because I’m passing by and staying here temporarily. But you, what are you, a girl, doing here?“

    Jin Xi’s eyes widened, she subconsciously covered her chest, and stammered: “Wh, what are you talking about? I’m not a girl, I’m a man! And a scholar!“

    Bo Chi looked at her with dead fish eyes: “Do you think I’m blind? Your face is delicate and soft, completely without the firmness of a man, your voice is delicate, you’re not tall, and most importantly, you don’t even have an Adam’s apple, and you’re telling me you’re a scholar – huh? Scholar?“

    She remembered something, and said in surprise: “You’re not Jin Xi, are you?“

    The food that was eaten by the female ghost in one bite in the plot?

    Jin Xi was shocked again, and said fearfully: “H-How do you know my name!“

    Bo Chi thought about the plot, and said casually: “I was sent by your parents. You impersonated your brother’s identity, wanting to go to Bailu Academy to study. Your parents are very angry, and they asked me to catch you and bring you back.“

    Seeing that she knew everything about her, Jin Xi couldn’t help but believe her words, and pleaded with tears in her eyes: “I don’t want to go back, and I don’t want to get married, kind sister, please let me go.“

    Bo Chi pondered for a while, her eyes lit up: “I can not take you back, but you have to let me follow you.“

    She was now a new ghost who had just died not long ago. If she rashly appeared in front of Yu Zhao, her identity would definitely be discovered by the spirit-seeking compass. Only by consuming flesh and blood to a certain extent, or by having long-term contact with a woman with a cold constitution, would there be a chance of confusing the spirit-seeking compass’ tracking.

    Bo Chi wouldn’t harm humans, so she could only set her sights on Jin Xi.

    Fortunately, Jin Xi was only stunned for a moment, and quickly nodded readily: “No problem, sister, you don’t know how scared I’ve been along the way, but I really don’t want to get married. I want to study and take the imperial examination like my brother. Actually, the best choice is to become an exorcist, so that whether you’re a man or a woman, you can travel around, but I’m afraid of ghosts, I really don’t dare…“

    Jin Xi, who had relaxed, treated Bo Chi as one of her own, and revealed her talkative nature, chattering non-stop about how scared she was of ghosts. Bo Chi listened attentively for a while, and said: “I’m afraid of ghosts, but ghosts haven’t harmed me at all. I’m not afraid of people, but people have hurt me all over.“

    Jin Xi looked at her blankly: “Sister, wh, what do you mean?“

    Bo Chi said profoundly: “People know that ghosts are terrifying, but ghosts know the evil of the human heart. Everything is not static. You have to learn to have your own judgment, and don’t blindly think that all ghosts are evil and all people are good. After all, those ghosts, in the end, are still transformed from people.“

    Jin Xi was stunned, as if she had never heard such a statement before, and was lost in thought for a moment.

    They returned to the dilapidated temple. The spider on the roof was staring at them on the cobweb. Bo Chi acted as if she didn’t see it, and pointed to the ground: “Gather the straw, you’ll sleep here tonight.“

    Jin Xi came back to her senses, hurriedly responded, and while working, she asked: “Where is sister sleeping tonight? Do you want me to spread some straw for you too?“

    “No need.” Bo Chi was now a ghost, and didn’t need to sleep: “I rested during the day, and I’m not sleepy at night. I plan to keep watch.“

    ——And absorb some yin energy by the way, to quickly consolidate her soul.

    Jin Xi looked at Bo Chi gratefully, lay down on the straw and talked to her for a long time, until she fell asleep in a daze late at night.

    After she fell asleep, the spider finally asked in confusion: “This person is human, why don’t you eat her to strengthen your soul, but instead keep watch for her?“

    Bo Chi was silent for a while, and said seriously: “She’s too thin and small, I’ll wait until she’s fat before I make a move.“

    Spider: “…You’re really picky.“

    After dispelling her doubts, the spider didn’t say anything more, and began to taste the mosquitoes and insects that came to her door.

    Bo Chi stood quietly at the entrance of the temple for the whole night. When the sky turned slightly white, she pinched her soft and slightly cold fingertips, and showed a satisfied smile.

    Rustling sounds came from behind her. She turned around and saw Jin Xi rubbing her eyes and standing up, giving her a bright smile, and saying: “Good morning!“

    As soon as she spoke, the person, ghost, and spider in the temple all froze with dumbfounded expressions.

    The first to react was Jin Xi herself. She covered her neck in horror, her rough voice like that of a strong man: “Ahhh! My voice! Why has my voice become like this!“

    The culprit swallowed, remembering the yin energy she had absorbed all night, and said weakly: “Maybe, maybe you have a cold and fever!“

    Jin Xi burst into tears, and said in a loud and deep voice: “Wuwuwu, it’s so scary, sister, I’m so sad, wuwuwu.“

    Bo Chi couldn’t stand her manly and coquettish tone, but thinking that she was the one who did it, she still closed her eyes and endured: “Don’t be afraid, I’ve studied medicine, this is just a temporary cold, you’ll recover after resting for a while.“

    The girl was a living person, and it wouldn’t hurt her to lose a little yin energy. She would naturally return to normal after a few days, so Bo Chi wasn’t lying.

    Jin Xi sniffed, believed Bo Chi’s words, and said with a dejected face: “Then, then I won’t talk until I recover!“

    Bo Chi suppressed a smile, nodded and said: “Okay, if we meet other people on the road later, I’ll talk to them.“

    Jin Xi hummed sullenly, wiped her tears, picked up her luggage and walked out.

    Bo Chi’s gaze swept over the spider, and she nodded slightly as a farewell.

    The two left the dilapidated temple and walked down the mountain.

    Although Bo Chi had stabilized her body, she was essentially still a ghost, and it didn’t matter how long she walked. Jin Xi was different. Even though she could endure hardships, after walking for a whole morning, she was still very tired, and could only stop to rest with a bitter face.

    After wiping the sweat on her forehead, she suddenly noticed something was wrong, and said in confusion: “Sister, why aren’t you sweating at all?“

    Bo Chi paused, and smiled: “Because I have ice muscles and jade bones.“

    Jin Xi suddenly realized, and said with envy: “Sister is so amazing, not only are you beautiful, but you can also come out alone to find me, and you even have such a magical physique, I’m so envious!“

    Bo Chi coughed lightly: “Don’t be envious, you might have it in the future too.“

    ——This ‘future’ referred to after death.

    Jin Xi didn’t understand her hidden meaning, and shook her head dejectedly: “I’m just an ordinary girl, I can’t even think about it in this lifetime. Sister, can I touch it? This is the first time I’ve heard that there really are ice muscles and jade bones in the world!“

    Bo Chi, who had fooled the person, held her forehead, and helplessly stretched out her paw: “You can touch it.“

    Jin Xi’s eyes rolled, and she smiled and pounced on Bo Chi, making a fuss: “What’s the point of just touching your hand? I want to touch sister’s bo— Hey, hey, hey, sister, be careful!”

    She exclaimed, but Bo Chi was still pushed down by her unexpectedly.

    The two of them were lying on the ground, and just as they were about to get up, they suddenly heard rustling sounds from the bushes beside them.

    They instinctively turned their heads and met a girl’s calm eyes.

    The girl didn’t look very old, with a peach wood sword on her back, her long black hair neatly tied up, and a compass in her slender hand.

    Her features were beautiful, and even though she was wearing a gray robe and had a cold face, she still couldn’t hide her gorgeous and elegant beauty.

    After staring at the two women not far away for a while, Yu Zhao looked down at the compass again, and then became confused.

    According to the compass, the woman who was pinned down should be a ghost.

    But… wasn’t there something wrong with a ghost being pinned down by a human?

    The author has something to say:

    At the beginning.

    Yu Zhao: What a useless ghost.

    Later.

    Yu Zhao (pulling the sword with murderous intent): No matter how useless she is, you can’t bully her!

  • A Girl Dies Every Day in Her Dream Life 160

    Chapter 160: A Trip Out of the Palace, Nangong Mian’s Old Home 

    “…”

    The etiquette official’s momentary look of surprise didn’t escape Luo Xue’s notice, and her expression turned serious.

    From her expression and words, it seemed that the etiquette official knew about this.

    She knew “Luo Xue,” and also knew that Concubine Min was acquainted with “Luo Xue.”

    But she hadn’t told Concubine Min’s daughter…

    There must be a hidden reason.

    However, Luo Xue didn’t ask.

    Since the etiquette official didn’t intend to tell her, asking would probably be futile.

    “Since there are no lessons today, Madam, can I leave the palace for a while?”

    Luo Xue blinked, a hopeful expression on her face.

    “…You can leave the palace, but not alone, Your Highness. This is for your safety.”

    The etiquette official’s expression softened slightly.

    “Your Highness must find this old servant’s constant nagging annoying. I won’t follow you, but someone still has to protect you.”

    “It’s not that I find you annoying, Madam, I just want to… clear my head…” Luo Xue lowered her head slightly, looking at the ground. “It’s fine if someone accompanies me… but I don’t want anyone from the palace.”

    The people in the palace were too shrewd. Luo Xue’s every move would be watched. She didn’t want to be constrained after leaving the palace.

    The etiquette official paused, then realized that Her Highness had just returned from the Cold Palace and probably hadn’t recovered from her encounter with her Mother Concubine.

    She needed some time to clear her head, and the people in the palace would only remind her of unpleasant things… It seemed she could only ask her for help.

    “I understand, Your Highness just wants to go out with Nangong Mian, I’ll contact her for you.” The etiquette official said faintly.

    “Sister Mian? Yes, yes!”

    Luo Xue’s face lit up with genuine joy this time.

    This was an unexpected surprise. Nangong Mian was a naive and easily fooled girl.

    And Luo Xue also wanted to learn more about the Nangong clan.

    But seeing the etiquette official’s expression, Luo Xue seemed to realize something and coughed awkwardly, lowering her head slightly.

    “Ahem…”

    Had she been too happy… The madam still had some strange misunderstandings.

    Looking at the seemingly shy Princess Xue, the etiquette official could only sigh.

    Her Highness hadn’t given up… her worries from yesterday seemed to be true.

    Well, Nangong Mian would be leaving the Imperial Sacred Land in a few days anyway.

    By the time they met again, it would be many years later.

    By then, Her Highness should have matured and learned to let go of such inappropriate feelings.

    “Your Highness, please wait in your palace for a while. This old servant will go and make arrangements…”

    The etiquette official stood up, paused, and then added,

    “But I still have to remind you that even within the Imperial Sacred Land, under His Majesty’s protection, there are still many unsavory characters. Your Highness, please be discreet and don’t attract attention.”

    “Okay, I understand.”

    Luo Xue nodded obediently and sat down on the bed.

    The etiquette official didn’t say anything more, bowed, and hurriedly left.

    …

    Noon, Imperial Sacred Land.

    The imperial palace complex stood atop the immortal mountain, and surrounding the mountain was the renowned Imperial Sacred Land, the Great Qin Imperial Capital.

    As the center of the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, this place was where the dynasty’s fortune converged, blessed by the Immortal Emperor, comparable to the best blessed lands.

    And it wasn’t just a capital city, but more like a vast nation.

    The territory encompassed by the Imperial Capital was comparable to one of the nine provinces.

    Besides those born here, only cultivators at Foundation Establishment and above could enter the Great Qin Imperial Capital.

    In other words, a Foundation Establishment cultivator who could control wind and rain in a city within the nine provinces and four domains could only be considered an ordinary person in the Great Qin Imperial Capital.

    The prosperous Imperial Capital was divided into several rings, one nested within another.

    The further in, the higher the quality of spiritual energy, and therefore, the higher the required cultivation level for entry and residence.

    The innermost first and second rings were only for the imperial family—although the imperial family wasn’t as large as the ancient clans, it wasn’t just a few royal members either.

    Luo Xue had six older brothers and four older sisters, most of whom had already started their own families and had descendants, some even having over a hundred generations.

    If she followed the proper address, they would have to call Luo Xue “Great-Great-Grandmother”…

    Of course, Luo Xue had a title, and they usually addressed her as “Your Highness Princess Xue.”

    The most noble members of the imperial family, like Luo Xue, naturally lived within the imperial palace.

    And those next in line lived within the first and second rings of the Great Qin Imperial Capital.

    It was worth mentioning that Nangong Mian’s residence was within the first ring because she was a member of the Empress’s family—and the Empress, after all, was also part of the imperial family…

    However, Luo Xue wasn’t interested in the first or second rings. She found even the imperial palace boring, let alone these places that imitated it.

    The same went for the inner rings. She came out to understand this world, so she wouldn’t be clueless when she eventually escaped.

    It was always good to plan ahead. Luo Xue felt this was increasingly necessary.

    But the etiquette official wouldn’t allow her to go to the outer rings. Although the Imperial Capital was the safest place in this world, Princess Xue’s safety was paramount, so they compromised and chose the fifteenth ring.

    A small girl in a light gauze veil and bamboo hat walked ahead excitedly, while a slightly taller girl yawned and followed sleepily behind.

    “Xue… slow down…”

    Nangong Mian rubbed her eyes, struggling to stay awake, and sighed.

    “Sister Mian, what’s wrong?” Luo Xue couldn’t help but smile wryly. She stopped and looked back. “Aren’t you a cultivator? Why are you so sleepy?”

    “I haven’t slept in days… Now that we’re in the Imperial Capital, I have to have some fun before leaving.” Nangong Mian said helplessly. “And my cultivation technique doesn’t involve meditation… I’m not good at staying up late.”

    “It doesn’t have to be like this, does it?” Luo Xue blinked.

    No wonder Nangong Mengxiang had to sleep almost every night… so that was it…

    “Eh, who knew you would suddenly want to leave the palace… and Madam dragged me along.” Nangong Mian rubbed her temples and quickened her pace to catch up with Luo Xue. “Not that I don’t like it… but it would have been nice to have some notice.”

    She had treated yesterday as her last day in the Imperial Capital, planning to sleep all the way back to the Nangong Sacred Land.

    After all, when Nangong Mian came to the Imperial Capital from the Nangong Sacred Land, she had already been awake for almost a month…

    She was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment and couldn’t stay awake for decades like those powerful cultivators.

    And with the Desolate Extinction Scripture, it was probably impossible anyway.

    “How about, Sister Mian, you go back and sleep first?” Luo Xue suggested. “I can walk around by myself.”

    “…Xue, if I dared to do that, Madam and Sixth Granduncle would kill me.”

    Nangong Mian looked deeply at Luo Xue. Did this princess not realize how important her status was in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty?

    One of the Immortal Emperor’s only eleven children, even in other immortal dynasties, they would send an entire elite squad to protect her, in case of any accidents.

    Even now, although seemingly only accompanied by Nangong Mian, there were many eyes and ears watching them, just not as closely.

    “Mmm…”

    Because her memories hadn’t fully merged, Luo Xue subconsciously still saw herself as she was in her previous lives.

    Her status in this life was very high…

    “It’s fine, I’ll just wake up a bit more.”

    Nangong Mian slapped her cheeks hard, startling the people around her, who quickly moved away, thinking she was crazy.

    “It’s also fine… I’ll just walk slower.”

    Luo Xue slowed down, walking beside Nangong Mian, whose face was slightly red (from slapping herself).

    Although Luo Xue was sixteen years old now, considered an adult in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, her physique was still small.

    Although Nangong Mian wasn’t as tall as Nangong Mengxiang, she still had a normal build for a young woman, at 1.6 meters tall, half a head taller than Luo Xue.

    Walking together, they looked like sisters.

    Luo Xue was simply dressed in a plain dress and a light gauze veil and bamboo hat to conceal her hair and face.

    The name of Princess Xue was known throughout the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, and every silver-haired girl would attract attention. Luo Xue didn’t want to be noticed.

    Nangong Mian was much more casual. This wasn’t the Sun and Moon Twin Halls, so she didn’t have to wear elaborate formal attire.

    To Luo Xue’s surprise, she was wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt and a knee-length skirt.

    If not for the fact that the style of these clothes wasn’t much different from the clothing in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty, Luo Xue would have suspected that there were fellow transmigrators here.

    “Xue, where do you want to go?” Nangong Mian asked.

    They were currently near the residential area of the fifteenth ring. There were many buildings here, rented out by various factions in the Imperial Capital, equipped with cultivation formations.

    Most cultivators who came to the Imperial Capital couldn’t afford to buy a residence and would rent one here.

    “Hmm…”

    Luo Xue thought for a moment. She actually wanted to go to a free market.

    Such places were more chaotic, and she could obtain a lot of information just by listening to people’s conversations.

    But needless to say, if she suggested it, Nangong Mian would definitely object.

    Nangong Mian wouldn’t dare to take the princess to such a place…

    “Is there an auction house for cultivators here? I want to take a look.” Luo Xue asked. “Also, didn’t Madam say she would arrange for me to start cultivating? It would be good to learn some things in advance.”

    Auction houses were another type of chaotic place, but because they had some rules, they weren’t as disorderly as free markets.

    And… to be honest, after cultivating for so long, Luo Xue had never been to such a classic place.

    She had planned to go during her last trip to Ghost Demon Pass, but what happened later… was better left unsaid.

    “There should be, no problem, I’ll find one.”

    Nangong Mian’s expression relaxed, seeing that Luo Xue’s request wasn’t too unreasonable.

    “However, we’re probably not lucky enough to encounter a large-scale auction, at most just some daily auctions and exhibitions.”

    Large-scale auctions required preparation, while daily auctions were for less valuable items.

    As for exhibitions, some rare but not particularly valuable items would be displayed in the auction house’s exhibition hall.

    These items could be bought outright, or one could place a bid, and if no one offered a higher price by the end of the exhibition, they could obtain the item.

    However, most items in the exhibition hall were bought outright.

    Nangong Mian specialized in collecting resources from Foundation Establishment secret realms in the Nangong Sacred Land, and she also needed to exchange some of these resources for things she could use, so she was naturally very familiar with these matters.

    Therefore, when Luo Xue mentioned the auction house, Nangong Mian felt right at home, even her drowsiness disappeared.

    With her keen sense for auction houses, it didn’t take long for Nangong Mian to lead Luo Xue to one.

    “Yo, it’s this one again.” Nangong Mian looked up at the signboard and immediately smiled. “I almost forgot, it’s a chain.”

    Luo Xue also looked up. The auction house’s signboard was a large hammer striking the sky, without any words.

    “The Big Hammer Auction House, that’s what I call it.”

    Nangong Mian told Luo Xue casually, without lowering her voice, instantly attracting the attention of those around them.

    These gazes weren’t friendly, some were slightly displeased, and some seemed to be mocking Nangong Mian for being a country bumpkin, not even recognizing the famous Tianlie Auction House in the Great Qin Immortal Dynasty.

    However, not many noticed Luo Xue. She was small and quiet.

    “I’m very familiar with this place. Come, I’ll show you around.”

    Nangong Mian became excited and, even forgetting their difference in status, took Luo Xue’s hand for the first time and led her into the Tianlie Auction House.

    If the auction house was a home, then the Tianlie Auction House was Nangong Mian’s old home.

    Every time she fenced stolen goods… no, every time she dealt with resources, there would always be some things that other auction houses couldn’t or wouldn’t accept.

    Only the Tianlie Auction House took everything, so Nangong Mian had a very favorable impression of this place.

    However… this wasn’t the Nangong Sacred Land.

    Just as Nangong Mian was about to enter the auction house, the guard at the door stopped them with his spear.

    “Ladies, you can’t enter.”

  • Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 134

    Chapter 134

    Qin Sichao stood by the road, watching as the ambulance drove away, until it finally disappeared at the end of the road.

    The sun at 8 AM in midsummer was already scorching, Qin Sichao, dressed in black, stood under the sun without any shade, his body hot, but his heart cold.

    A perfectly healthy person, how could he just collapse…

    After a long while, Qin Sichao finally moved, he returned to the villa.

    Squeezing through the half-open door into the monitoring room on the third floor, Qin Sichao glanced at Jin Youliang and Zeng Huanian, who were sitting side by side, facing the wall of monitoring screens, he walked to the corner silently, dragged a stool, and sat down.

    Since Lao Shan wouldn’t let him go with them, asking him to stay and watch over things here, then he would stay and watch.

    Although Qin Sichao didn’t say anything, the sound of the stool scraping against the floor still startled the two people in the room.

    “Director Qin, please sit here.” Jin Youliang said, standing up immediately and offering his seat, which was directly facing the screens, when he saw Qin Sichao.

    “No need, you guys focus on your work.” Qin Sichao said, waving his hand, refusing, then took out his phone.

    Trending topic #1: [Truth behind ‘Where’s Baby Going’ Season 3 Director Shi Dingshan’s Divorce]

    Trending topic #2: [Shi Dingshan’s son is not his biological child]

    Trending topic #7: [Variety show director cuckolded, raising someone else’s child]

    Trending topic #12…

    Earlier, Shi Dingshan, who was happily drinking porridge, his phone in his hand, suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed.

    Qin Sichao never expected that the little pill bottle Shi Dingshan had entrusted to him just a couple of days ago would be used today.

    After giving him the medicine and calling 120, seeing that Shi Dingshan had recovered, Qin Sichao finally noticed what was playing on his phone, which had fallen to the ground.

    An intimate couple…

    A happy “family of three”…

    It was truly outrageous, it almost cost someone their life!

    Qin Sichao scrolled through the trending topics one by one, then switched to his contacts and started sending messages.

    The current source seemed to be marketing accounts, he wanted to see what was going on.

    Qin Sichao, his head lowered, his phone screen being tapped furiously by his angry fingers, finally stopped typing after a while. He then talked to the staff member who was accompanying Shi Dingshan to the hospital, and when he looked up, he realized only he and Jin Youliang were left in the room.

    “Where are they going?” Qin Sichao asked, standing up, walking to Jin Youliang’s side, and looking at the multiple live broadcast windows on the monitoring wall, showing the inside of a vehicle.

    The earlier anger had given him a headache, his chest even felt a bit tight. He needed to distract himself, to avoid being the next one to collapse from anger.

    “They’re going to the newly built aquarium, which will officially open to the public next week. The task for this morning is for the babies to use Polaroid cameras to find the fish in the picture books we provided, inside the aquarium, and take clear photos of them. Before we come back, we’ll rank the babies based on the number of qualified photos they take, and reward them with vouchers based on their ranking. They can use the vouchers to choose souvenirs they like from the aquarium’s gift shop, and we’ll pay.” Jin Youliang explained the current situation quickly to Qin Sichao, then gestured towards the chair next to him. “Director Qin, please sit here, Xiao Zeng went to the aquarium with them.”

    “The advertising fee for Polaroid cameras is well spent, yesterday afternoon and this morning, that’s already a whole day. The babies are taking pictures, what about the dads, are they all with their own babies today?” Qin Sichao asked, sitting down, his eyes sweeping over the tray on the coffee table between them.

    “Yes, each dad is with their own baby. Right, I just contacted Xiao Wang, Director Shi is already at the hospital, undergoing further examinations, he’s doing okay. Director Qin, you haven’t eaten much this morning, right? I asked someone to bring some food, you can eat while watching.” Jin Youliang said, casually mentioning the food on the tray, then continued explaining, “We were originally planning to continue the dad swap, but Director Shi sent a message last night saying to let the dads be with their own babies, so this morning’s task is family-based.”

    Glutinous rice stuffed with lotus root, mung bean cake, bite-sized baked flatbreads, braised edamame and peanuts, peeled and diced peaches with toothpicks inserted, and a bowl of porridge with ice.

    Was this what he called “asking someone to bring some random food”? This was catering to his recent preferences!

    Qin Sichao picked up the bowl of porridge and took a sip.

    As expected, it wasn’t plain porridge, he could taste yam and soy milk, it was cold, refreshing, and slightly sweet, one sip and the anger in his heart subsided.

    He was truly thoughtful.

    Just like Shi Dingshan said, this Jin Youliang was full of little schemes, but he was also useful.

    Qin Sichao slowly drank his porridge, listening to Jin Youliang’s whispered instructions, asking someone to adjust the camera angle, asking someone else to reposition the microphone, asking someone to zoom in the lens.

    It was a level of busyness that wasn’t there when Shi Dingshan was here.

    Qin Sichao glanced at Jin Youliang, who was busy working, from the corner of his eye. He could see that this young man was trying to show off his abilities.

    This kind of ambition, it was normal.

    But it was best if it was just ambition.

    Qin Sichao couldn’t help but wonder if last night’s conversation had opened his mind too much, it still hadn’t fully closed. Sitting here, he kept thinking about the words they discussed last night.

    “Who would do something bad without any benefits? When looking for suspects, start with those who would benefit.”

    These were the words they discussed when analyzing the bathroom incident last night.

    But Qin Sichao felt that those words might also be applicable to analyzing today’s situation.

    Putting aside the thoughts of those in the monitoring room at the villa, Wei Chengli, in the car, was feeling quite tormented.

    Live broadcast, live broadcast.

    Cameras, cameras.

    He had been looking for an opportunity since breakfast, but he couldn’t find one…

    Now they were in the car, on their way, it was evident that there was no chance to talk to Shi Dingshan this morning.

    The key was, Wei Chengli looked at the little chubby dumpling on his left, then at Yan Yan on his right, he… regretted it!

    People should truly learn to be content, contentment brought happiness, greed only led to destruction.

    Heaven and earth could bear witness, he just casually poked at his egg at the breakfast table earlier, and the little chubby dumpling offered to help him mix the sauce, then he casually complained, “My baby, she doesn’t love me anymore, she only sat next to me on the first day.”

    And then…

    Under the little rascal’s enthusiastic invitation, “Dad, I love you, sit next to me,” Wei Chengli had to face the consequences of his own actions.

    This wasn’t the kind of “sitting next to” he wanted! Let him be the odd one out in the family!

    He wanted to sit in the spacious and comfortable seat in the front, Wei Chengli, squeezed between two child safety seats, silently shed tears, he couldn’t be happy anymore.

    On the moving bus, he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t be happy.

    Wen Qiming, his face grim, stared out the window. It wasn’t that he didn’t care about his expression management in front of the camera, he was just too depressed to manage it.

    Last night, because of Wei Maomao’s fall in the bathroom, the program team decided to rearrange the rooms, returning to the one-room-per-family mode.

    Wen Qiming received the notification while he was showering, Shen Jianghe was the one who moved out of their room. When he hurriedly finished showering and came out, Yueyue had already been brought over by the staff.

    Seeing his daughter sitting by the bed, looking a bit startled, Wen Qiming, who rarely comforted his daughter, even tried to soothe her. But when he asked about Wei Maomao’s fall, Yueyue was very brief, she didn’t seem to want to talk about it. At that time, he even wanted to take Yueyue to the Wei family’s room to check on her, but Yueyue didn’t respond, then the staff also said the doctor said she was fine and it was too late, everyone should rest, so Wen Qiming didn’t insist.

    But when Wen Qiming woke up this morning and called Yueyue to get up, he found his daughter hiding under the blanket, secretly crying…

    After coaxing and questioning, he finally found out what happened… Wen Qiming was almost angered to death.

    No wonder the staff only mentioned it as an accident when they brought Yueyue over last night, no wonder they advised him not to take Yueyue to see Maomao.

    So that was it!

    Putting aside anything else, Wen Qiming absolutely believed his daughter wouldn’t lie.

    She said the floor wasn’t slippery when she left the bathroom, then it wasn’t slippery.

    Then who was lying, it was obvious.

    Thinking about the dramatic events in the Cheng family these past few days, Wen Qiming couldn’t help but suspect that his daughter was being dragged down.

    But they had just figured out the situation when it was 8 AM, the staff came to urge them to go downstairs for the live broadcast.

    His last bit of rationality made Wen Qiming suppress his anger, he got his daughter ready and took her downstairs. He planned to talk to the director team after filming the breakfast segment, to ask them what they meant.

    But as soon as they went downstairs, Wen Qiming saw the other dads lining up to express their concern for Wei Maomao, they all treated it as an accident, and Wei Maomao didn’t even deny it.

    Hearing that, Wen Qiming could guess what the program team was doing, they wanted the person involved to admit it was just an accident.

    Rationally speaking, whether it was intentional or an accident, for a live broadcast show, it was definitely more appropriate to handle it as an accident. Having been a host for so many years, Wen Qiming understood this kind of bias.

    If it weren’t for Cheng Rongrong’s words, an accident would just be an accident.

    But she said it!

    Although there was no live broadcast last night for the children, and not many people heard Cheng Rongrong’s words, Wen Qiming couldn’t swallow this injustice.

    Not cleaning her own house and throwing dirty water on others, then acting like nothing happened because no one pursued it, how could there be such a good thing?

    Looking at that little chubby girl, obediently being comforted by the other dads, even nodding when they told her to be careful next time…

    Wen Qiming truly… was about to laugh in exasperation.

    Where was her spirit from that day, when he didn’t immediately accept the flowers Yueyue bought him, when she rolled on the ground and made those sarcastic remarks?

    Now that she was the one suffering a loss, she just swallowed it silently?

    And Wei Chengli, where was his brain? Did he truly think his daughter fell on her own? Didn’t he even suspect anything?

    Wen Qiming truly regretted it, he should have asked Yueyue properly last night, he shouldn’t have assumed that his daughter was just startled and let her sleep after comforting her. He should have asked clearly, taken his child upstairs, looked for evidence, then gone to the Wei family, knocked some sense into Wei Chengli, and joined forces to make the program team handle it properly.

    But now, the situation was already a mess, if they tried to unravel it, not only would they fail, they would also get dirty themselves.

    Truly!

    Infuriating!

    Wen Qiming stared out the window for a long time, he took many deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, only after a while did he turn back and look at his daughter, who was also looking unhappy.

    The most pitiful thing was… during breakfast, he saw Yueyue secretly glancing at Maomao and Yan Yan several times. When Cheng Rongrong said the floor was already slippery when she entered the bathroom, Yan Yan was outside. Yueyue must be afraid that they would believe Cheng Rongrong’s words and think she was the one who made the floor slippery…

    It was truly unbelievable.

    “Yueyue, look.” Wen Qiming said gently, after calming himself down, he took out a candy from his pocket and handed it to his daughter.

    Wen Jiangyue looked down at it and shook her head.

    “It’s okay, Dad will give you another one when you want to eat it later. I got a few when I came out, you can have as many as you want.” Wen Qiming said, gently stroking his daughter’s head with one hand, while the other hand tightly clutched the candy.

    After breakfast, after announcing the morning’s task, he took advantage of the time when everyone was packing and told the staff he wanted to meet with the director team. But he didn’t see any of them! The staff member who relayed the message only said that the director team had an emergency to deal with, and he could only meet with them after the morning’s task was over.

    What emergency!

    When their car was leaving, he clearly saw Zeng Huanian at the entrance of the villa next door, about to get into the car with them!

    What, were they avoiding him?

    When Cheng Rongrong said those words, there were other staff members around, right? Could it be that the program team also knew what the problem was, but they didn’t want to correct it privately?

    He wasn’t asking them to publicly contradict their previous statement during the live broadcast.

    He just…

    Wen Qiming glanced at his daughter, who had leaned against him after he stroked her head.

    He just wanted to clear his daughter’s name and shift the blame back to where it belonged!

    In the last car of the convoy, Zeng Huanian sneezed again. He had been sneezing since they got into the car, he had a bad feeling about this.

    Zeng Huanian, worried, sent another message to Xiao Wang, asking about Director Shi’s situation.

    Xiao Wang, squatting in the hospital corridor, looked at the chat window with Zeng Huanian, just two minutes had passed, and he received the same question again… And Jin Youliang, Director Qin, Xiao Zhao, Xiao Li… they were all doing the same.

    Xiao Wang, who had already almost rubbed a hole in his phone screen from replying to messages, took a deep breath.

    Enough!

    Zeng Huanian, waiting for Xiao Wang’s reply, took a sip of water, then, accidentally glancing at his phone, he…

    “Director Zeng, you…” Xiao Zhao, in the passenger seat, turned around with a wronged expression, his shoulder wet.

    But Zeng Huanian didn’t have time to apologize, he grabbed his phone and started browsing.

    Two seconds later, Zeng Huanian slumped back in his seat, defeated, he threw his phone aside and apologized sincerely to Xiao Zhao.

    “It’s okay, I was just startled.” Xiao Zhao said, then looked at Zeng Huanian, confused, holding up his phone. “Director Zeng, this ‘Save Director Shi’ group…”

    Zeng Huanian’s lips twitched slightly. “Xiao Wang just created the group, it’s probably for us to discuss Director Shi’s current situation. But with this group name, I think after Director Shi recovers and sees it, we’ll be the ones saving Xiao Wang.” Director Shi wouldn’t beat him, but “he” would, he almost had a heart attack when he first saw the group name, he thought something serious had happened to Director Shi.

    With such a talent for naming, it was a waste for him to be a production assistant, he should go and work in post-production!

    But Zeng Huanian didn’t expect that just ten minutes later, he himself… wouldn’t want to be a production assistant anymore.

    The aquarium they were going to this morning was half an hour’s drive from the villa area. It was newly built and would officially open to the public next week. All the facilities were in place, they could visit and play normally, and there were no other tourists, it was the perfect filming location for their show.

    He was the one who contacted this place initially. But at that time… it failed. After all, opening the aquarium exclusively for the program team required a lot of manpower and resources, the aquarium had refused.

    But after the show aired, seeing the show’s popularity, the aquarium… not only contacted them proactively, but also offered many favorable terms, even saying that once the program team arrived, their staff would be fully prepared to cooperate.

    And so… They were originally going to pay to film here, and now they were being paid to come.

    Zeng Huanian, as he got out of the car, was still marveling at the world’s fickleness, then in the next second, he was dragged away by a thug… oh no, by Wen Qiming.

    “Teacher Wen, this… your cameraman…” Zeng Huanian said, after being dragged a few steps by Wen Qiming, he looked at the empty space where Wen Qiming came from, bewildered.

    “Lost him.” Wen Qiming said, getting straight to the point, annoyed. “Yesterday, Wei Maomao fell, because of who?”

    “Who? Didn’t Maomao fall on her own?” Zeng Huanian asked instinctively, then looked at Wen Qiming’s collar and waist. “Teacher Wen, where’s your microphone?”

    Wen Qiming, hearing the expected answer, sneered. “I’ve also been in this industry for many years, don’t try to fool me with this kind of nonsense. I’m asking you, our Yueyue said the floor wasn’t slippery when she left the bathroom, but Cheng Rongrong said it was slippery when she went in, what does that mean? Is she implying that our Yueyue made the bathroom floor slippery, causing Wei Maomao to fall? What evidence does she have to say that? Clearly, she came out, and then Wei Maomao went in, wasn’t it her who made the floor slippery, and now that something happened, she’s trying to shift the blame to our Yueyue? I can understand you saying it was an accident to the public, but shouldn’t we clarify it privately? Whoever’s fault it is, should be held accountable, why be so ambiguous, who are you implying?”

    “No, no, no… Teacher Wen, wait.” Zeng Huanian said, dumbfounded by Wen Qiming’s barrage of questions. “What are you talking about?”

    “What, you still don’t understand?” Wen Qiming asked, adjusting Zeng Huanian’s collar, dissatisfied. “Then let me explain it to you properly…”

    …

    As Wen Qiming finally found someone to vent to, at the entrance of the aquarium, Wen Jiangyue, clutching her microphone pack, looked worriedly in the direction Wen Qiming had left.

    “Yueyue, we should go in. Your dad said he had something to do, he’ll join us later.” Shen Jianghe said with a smile, holding Wen Jiangyue’s left hand, his right hand holding Shen Zilin’s.

    Wen Jiangyue glanced at Shen Jianghe, then at Shen Zilin, who was already excitedly walking ahead, she finally followed the group.

    As soon as they entered the aquarium, the host announced the start of the task, the families could start taking pictures of the fish based on the clues in their booklets.

    Wen Jiangyue looked back at the entrance, no Dad.

    “Yueyue, why don’t you walk with us first? Your dad can ask the staff and find us.” Shen Jianghe said, squatting down with a smile. “Uncle Shen will teach you how to use the Polaroid camera…”

    “Right, Yan Yan, come with us. Today’s task is for each baby to exchange their photos for vouchers individually, she can also take pictures with us.”

    Shen Jianghe, entrusted with comforting Little Yueyue, hadn’t even finished speaking when her attention was drawn by Wei Chengli’s loud voice.

    Shen Jianghe swallowed his words and looked over as well.

    He saw the two little ones, always inseparable, standing hand in hand behind Wei Chengli.

    And Cheng Feiying, holding Cheng Rongrong, his face grim, muttered a few words, then turned and left.

    Shen Jianghe looked at Wei Chengli’s straight and tense back, he sensed something different.

    Yesterday, Shen Jianghe had walked with them for the entire afternoon, watching Wei Chengli diligently take pictures of Wei Maomao, Cheng Tingyan, and Cheng Rongrong. How should he put it, whether it was taking pictures or showing concern, he was quite fair. But people had different levels of closeness, Shen Jianghe could still tell that for Wei Chengli, it was… his own daughter, Yan Yan, the accessory to his daughter, and Rongrong, the stranger he had to take care of for the task.

    But how come today…

    It wasn’t “Yan Yan and Maomao together,” but “Yan Yan and us together,” and that protective stance…

    Just as Shen Jianghe was lost in thought, the small hand in his left hand started to wiggle.

    “What’s wrong?” Shen Jianghe asked, turning to look at Wen Jiangyue.

    Wen Jiangyue, her lips pursed, looked at the Wei family.

    Shen Jianghe followed her gaze and saw Little Maomao beckoning them.

    “You go, you can either follow Maomao’s dad or me, but you can’t run around the aquarium alone.” Shen Jianghe said, releasing her hand.

    He released her hand, but the little girl hesitated, not leaving.

    “What’s wrong?” Shen Jianghe asked, tugging at his son’s hand. “Stop thinking about fish, be considerate of your sister.”

    As soon as he finished speaking, the little girl, who had been lingering, ran off.

    Shen Jianghe: “… “

    Just as she was about to reach Maomao and Yan Yan, Wen Jiangyue stopped, lowered her head, and started shuffling forward…

    “Is there gold on the floor?” Wei Maomao asked, unable to hold back, she went to meet her, then looked at the aquarium entrance. “Yueyue, where’s your dad?”

    “He… has… something… to do…” Wen Jiangyue said softly.

    “What? Oh… He has something to do. Are you okay? You’re speaking so softly today. You didn’t even look at me when I waved at you when we got off the bus.” Wei Maomao said, rummaging through her pocket, she pulled out a vacuum-packed braised quail egg. “Here, for you.”

    “I didn’t see you.” Wen Jiangyue said, looking at the quail egg in the little chubby paw, she nervously clenched her hand around her pants, she didn’t take it.

    “Eat it. You don’t know how to open it? It’s like jelly. Should I open it for you?” Wei Maomao said, her chubby paw searching for the opening on the quail egg.

    But before she could even exert any force, her arm was gently pulled by Cheng Tingyan next to her.

    Wei Maomao turned to her, confused.

    “Yueyue, I know… It wasn’t you. Maomao also knows.” Cheng Tingyan said, her words vague, but her tone gentle and firm.

    What wasn’t? Wei Maomao, still struggling to open the quail egg, didn’t understand what Cheng Tingyan meant.

    Then, in the next second, Wei Maomao heard Wen Jiangyue burst into tears, then, like a swift leopard cat, she rushed past her and hugged Cheng Tingyan.

    Wei Maomao: “… “

  • You’re Not Allowed to Kiss Me Anymore! [Quick Transmigration] 52p2

    Chapter 52 p2

    Xin Yao, unable to refuse, let herself be dragged along, her mind still reeling from Xu Jingyu’s sudden invitation.

    As they reached the parking lot, they saw Xue Ning waiting by the car.

    She was looking at her phone, her expression a mix of annoyance and amusement.

    Seeing them approach, she put away her phone, a smile appearing on her face.

    “Well, well, well, Miss Xin. No work for you today. Enjoy your little vacation.”

    Their behavior, their secretive smiles, made Xin Yao suspicious. Something was going on, and it probably involved her.

    “What’s happening? What are you two up to?”

    Xue Ning hesitated, then blurted out, “Apparently, it’s the prime minister of Country A’s mother’s birthday today?”

    What did that have to do with anything?!

    Even if the prime minister’s father rose from the dead, she still had to go to work!

    What a lame excuse!

    But it was no use. Xu Jingyu had already pushed her into the car.

    And as they drove away, Xu Jingyu and Xue Ning finally started discussing their plans.

    Xu Jingyu turned to Xin Yao. “Yaoyao, is there anywhere you want to go?”

    Xue Ning, who was driving, added, “It’s winter. Why don’t you two go somewhere warm?”

    And as Xue Ning spoke, Xin Yao finally understood the reason for their strange behavior.

    Liu Nuan Nuan, monitoring the online activity, had informed her.

    The internet was exploding with hate towards Xin Yao.

    Li Xu, having waited long enough, had finally made his move.

    In Xin Yao’s previous life, the original owner, despite her initial attempts to move on, had been driven to suicide by Li Xu.

    And the catalyst for her despair had been her family.

    Li Xu had used them to strike the final, fatal blow.

    But in Xin Yao’s eyes, they weren’t family.

    At the age of eight, her parents had died in an accident, her once happy home shattered overnight.

    Too young to be on her own, she had been sent to live with her aunt and uncle, her legal guardians.

    But her aunt had resented her.

    She had always believed that Xin Yao’s mother, a university graduate, had looked down on her, their relationship strained even before her death. And now, she was burdened with caring for Xin Yao, a constant reminder of her strained relationship with her sister.

    Initially, she had tried to be kind, to fulfill her duty as Xin Yao’s guardian.

    But caring for a child wasn’t a temporary responsibility.

    It was a daily commitment, the extra chores, the extra laundry, the extra work, it had all become a burden.

    And so, she had started to neglect Xin Yao, her favoritism towards her own children becoming increasingly obvious.

    She had bought new clothes for everyone during the Lunar New Year, except for Xin Yao, whose clothes were old and worn.

    Children grew quickly, and Xin Yao’s clothes had become too small, her shoes too tight, pinching her feet with every step.

    One day, accompanying her aunt to visit relatives, a long walk that had left Xin Yao’s feet bleeding and blistered, her aunt, thinking she was being difficult, had scolded her harshly in front of everyone.

    And as if to punish her further, when the relatives visited their home, her aunt had confined her to her room, giving her a small portion of food and leaving her alone.

    Outside, her aunt had boasted about her new sofa, her new clothes, her voice filled with flattery towards her wealthy relatives.

    And Xin Yao, alone in her room, her stomach rumbling, her feet aching in her tight shoes, hadn’t dared to leave.

    She had looked out the window, tears streaming down her face.

    Mom, I miss you so much.

    But she no longer had a home.

    Xin Yao’s childhood had been filled with such loneliness and neglect.

    It had made her timid, insecure, and desperate for affection, always eager to please those who showed her even the slightest kindness.

    And her sensitivity to others’ emotions made her even more vulnerable to heartbreak.

    And it was this vulnerability, this lingering attachment to her aunt and uncle, that Li Xu had exploited.

    After being dumped and publicly humiliated, her spirit broken, Li Xu had made his move.

    Her cousin, a gambling addict, deep in debt, had started harassing her for money.

    It hadn’t taken much convincing for Li Xu to manipulate him into targeting Xin Yao.

    Out of a misplaced sense of familial obligation, she had given him money, again and again.

    Until she had nothing left to give.

    And then he had turned on her.

    Following Li Xu’s instructions, her aunt and cousin had gone online, accusing her of being ungrateful and heartless, of abandoning them after they had raised her.

    The online hate, already intense, intensified, the accusations adding fuel to the fire.

    Everyone believed she was a terrible person.

    And the original Xin Yao, unable to bear the weight of the world’s judgment, had ended her life.

    Xin Yao sometimes wondered why the kindest people always seemed to suffer the most.

    But now that she was here, she wouldn’t let it happen again.

    She had known, since her meeting with Ying Xi, that Li Xu was targeting her.

    Her cousin had started asking her for money.

    Xin Yao, of course, had refused.

    She hadn’t given him a single cent, ignoring his calls and messages.

    Until he had been caught by his creditors and had his hand broken.

    Then, they had become desperate, their actions escalating beyond Li Xu’s control.

    Her cousin had broken into her apartment, stealing her money, her bankbook, and her jewelry.

    He had assumed that Xin Yao, like the original owner, would be too timid and afraid to do anything.

    It had happened just a few days ago.

    Xin Yao and Liu Nuan Nuan, watching the live feed from the security cameras they had installed, had calmly sipped their tea as they watched him commit his crime.

    Then, they had called the police.

    The police had arrived quickly, catching him red-handed, and had arrested him.

    Her cousin, terrified, his usual arrogance gone, had collapsed onto the floor, begging for mercy.

    Then, remembering something, he had scrambled to his feet, claiming that it was his sister’s apartment, that he had simply been retrieving some of his belongings.

    The police, looking at the broken lock, the ransacked apartment, had simply dragged him away.

    His mother, frantic, had called Xin Yao repeatedly, but Xin Yao hadn’t answered.

    Desperate to save her son, she had gone online, accusing Xin Yao of being ungrateful and heartless, hoping to shame her into dropping the charges.

    The online hate, which had subsided slightly, erupted again, the netizens quick to condemn Xin Yao.

    But Xin Yao had been waiting for this, waiting for them to incriminate themselves.

    She had never intended to let them off the hook, but they had to commit a crime first.

    Her cousin had been arrested for burglary, and her aunt had publicly slandered her. She wondered what the netizens’ reaction would be when the police report was released.

    And she knew her cousin well enough to know that he would immediately implicate Li Xu, shifting the blame to protect himself.

    The glamorous actor’s carefully constructed image would crumble, his secrets revealed.

    The knife he had aimed at Xin Yao would now be turned against him, the mud he had slung at her now staining his own reputation.

    The online hate she had endured would now be directed at him, each word a sharp, unforgiving blade.

    It had all been part of Xin Yao’s plan. She hadn’t expected it to worry her friends and colleagues, however.

    The crew, who believed in her, were furious on her behalf.

    And the most vocal defender had been Jian Ru’yin’s father, who knew firsthand how kind and compassionate Xin Yao was, having witnessed her unwavering support for his daughter.

    Xu Jingyu, seeing the news that morning, had immediately come to Xin Yao’s apartment, her first priority being Xin Yao’s well-being.

    She had suppressed the trending topics, arranged for someone to deal with the situation, and then, wanting to distract Xin Yao from the online hate, had suggested a trip.

    Xin Yao, looking at Xu Jingyu, her heart filled with gratitude, thought: My girlfriend is so sweet.

    She remembered their life together in her previous world, a sudden inspiration striking her.

    “How about the beach?”

    “Huh?” Xue Ning, sitting in the front seat, was surprised. “The beach? But it’s…”

    Xu Jingyu interrupted her. “Then we’ll go to the beach. My private beach.”

    “Tsk,” Xue Ning, glancing at Xu Jingyu through the rearview mirror, shook her head. “Love truly makes people crazy.”

    Xin Yao, noticing their exchange, frowned slightly, sensing something was amiss.

    “Or maybe we should go somewhere else? The beach is a bit far. I don’t mind where we go, really.”

    Xu Jingyu took her hand, her eyes softening.

    “It’s fine. If you want to go to the beach, then we’ll go to the beach.”

    Three hours later, Xin Yao, sitting on Xu Jingyu’s private jet, arrived at Xu Jingyu’s private beach.

    And as they entered Xu Jingyu’s beachfront villa, Xin Yao realized, with a touch of amusement, that she had once again found herself a wealthy benefactress.

    She stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the ocean, the sunlight sparkling on the water, a beautiful, mesmerizing sight.

    Xu Jingyu, watching her, her eyes soft, asked, “Do you want to go for a swim?”

    “Can we?” Xin Yao turned to her, her eyes shining with excitement.

    Xu Jingyu nodded. “It’s my private beach. And there are lifeguards and lifeboats. It’s perfectly safe.”

    A trip to the beach wasn’t complete without a swim.

    Xin Yao, eager to get into the water, ran off to change into her swimsuit.

    The swimsuit, thoughtfully provided by the housekeeper, was waiting for her in the bedroom.

    She emerged a few minutes later.

    Her slender frame and long legs, usually hidden beneath layers of clothing, were now on full display, her appearance transformed, her usual soft, gentle demeanor replaced by a confident sensuality.

    Her waist was tiny, her legs long and smooth, her breasts, straining against the fabric of the swimsuit, a subtly alluring sight.

    And her face, with its naturally seductive features, was even more captivating now, her eyes sparkling with a playful light.

    A single glance from her was enough to make your heart race.

    Xu Jingyu, who had brought Xin Yao here to relax, to escape the stress of the city and the online hate, now found herself captivated by Xin Yao’s beauty, her own heart pounding in her chest.

    Xin Yao, however, oblivious to Xu Jingyu’s reaction, was still buzzing with excitement about her upcoming swim.

    She walked over to Xu Jingyu, holding a bottle of sunscreen.

    “Baby, can you help me with this? I don’t want to get sunburned.”

    It was a simple request.

    But as Xu Jingyu started applying the sunscreen, she realized it wasn’t so simple after all.

    She sat on the bed, looking at Xin Yao, her swimsuit-clad body a vision of effortless sensuality, her gaze lingering on her long legs, the curve of her hips, her slender waist, and finally, on her smooth, white back.

    Her back was almost completely bare, the thin straps of her swimsuit a delicate, almost fragile, barrier, both protective and alluring.

    As Xu Jingyu’s gaze lingered, Xin Yao, growing impatient, spoke up.

    Xu Jingyu finally started applying the sunscreen, her hand gently tracing Xin Yao’s waist.

    “Mmm,” Xin Yao murmured, a shiver running through her body as Xu Jingyu’s cool hand touched her warm skin.

    The sound was like a hook, catching Xu Jingyu’s attention, her hand stilling.

    “What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice slightly husky.

    Xin Yao smiled, her body rubbing against Xu Jingyu’s hand. “It’s cold.”

    Xu Jingyu rubbed her hands together to warm them, then resumed applying the sunscreen, her fingers tracing Xin Yao’s waist.

    Xin Yao, however, started fidgeting again, complaining that it was too hot now.

    She was so difficult to please.

    Finally, finding the right temperature, Xu Jingyu continued, her hand moving upwards, spreading the creamy white lotion across Xin Yao’s back, her touch like a caress, her fingers tracing the smooth curves of her body, the lotion like moonlight on snow.

    She reached the thin strap of Xin Yao’s swimsuit and hesitated, unsure whether to go over it, lift it, or simply untie it.

    But she didn’t have to choose.

    The strap, already loose, suddenly came undone.

    Xin Yao, feeling the sudden release, turned her head, a puzzled expression on her face.

    “Did you…?”

    Xu Jingyu, her intentions exposed, feigned innocence.

    “It wasn’t me,” she said, even though she had been thinking about it.

    Just then, Xin Yao’s eyes widened in surprise.

    “Xu Jingyu, are you… are you having a nosebleed?”

    Xu Jingyu paused, instinctively touching her nose. Her fingers came away clean.

    Xin Yao burst out laughing. “I was just kidding!”

    But Xu Jingyu didn’t laugh.

    Xin Yao, confused, turned to look at her and saw Xu Jingyu’s gaze fixed on her bare back, her eyes dark and intense, their message clear.

    Xin Yao’s laughter died in her throat, her own eyes widening in disbelief.

    “You’re not seriously… aroused by applying sunscreen, are you?”

    “Wait, are you actually having a nosebleed?”

    Xin Yao’s swimsuit strap, having come undone, had remained untied, her earlier teasing and laughter distracting her.

    As she turned, her back was exposed, her breasts rising and falling with each breath, their shape clearly visible beneath the thin fabric of her swimsuit.

    Xu Jingyu’s gaze, unable to resist, had lingered.

    And then she had heard Xin Yao’s words, her exclamation of surprise.

    This time, it seemed, it was real.

    Xu Jingyu touched her nose, her finger coming away stained with a faint trace of blood.

    Then, slowly, she looked up at Xin Yao, her gaze intense.

    Xin Yao, meeting her eyes, froze for a moment, then, like a startled rabbit, she turned and ran.

    But Xu Jingyu was faster, her long fingers reaching out and capturing Xin Yao’s ankle, pulling her back, slowly, inexorably, like a predator reeling in its prey.