Another bright and sunny morning.
Meng Xingyao hummed a soft tune as she cracked an egg into a hot pan.
Once it was done, she packed it into a bento box, added some sliced fruit as a side, drizzled some sauce over the egg, and sprinkled sesame seeds on top. A simple yet thoughtful breakfast was now complete!
Carrying two bento boxes, she stepped out of her hotel room, her mood light as she walked down the hallway, the warm sunlight bathing her cheerful figure.
She was currently in An Yang, preparing to face the threat of the Qiongnu. Even though there was a high chance she might not survive, she remained happy.
As Lu Xiaobu once said: "Even if tomorrow is the end of the world, we will still dress appropriately. It's a matter of attitude toward life."
However, Meng Xingyao's smile didn't last long. Her expression darkened.
A girl with white hair suddenly appeared, smiling as she blocked Meng Xingyao's path. "Off to deliver breakfast to that vixen again?"
"What's it to you?" Meng Xingyao replied expressionlessly, trying to step around her. But the girl moved in sync, blocking her again.
"We're over. You should let me go," Meng Xingyao frowned.
Yun Mengxuan lowered her head, a little dejected. "But... I still love you. We... we should be together."
"I loved you too, but that was in the past. You betrayed me! You shouldn't be standing in the way of me pursuing someone else. Please move aside!" Meng Xingyao tried to leave again, but Yun Mengxuan continued to block her.
"She's a girl! Are you trying to change her orientation? Isn't that cruel?"
"...I have my own reasons. If it doesn't work out, I'll leave on my own. I won't cling to her like you're doing to me!" Meng Xingyao was growing impatient.
Suddenly, she felt a wave of sadness, her voice trembling. "What do you want from me? Are you trying to take away my right to pursue happiness? After all the time we spent together... can't you give me some space to live?"
Yun Mengxuan's heart ached. She reached out to comfort Meng Xingyao, but her hand was swiftly brushed away. Yun Mengxuan sighed, her voice also trembling with regret.
"Xingyao... I'm not trying to take away your right to pursue happiness... but you know, after all this time, only you can make me truly happy."
"Come back... this time, I won't leave you," Yun Mengxuan extended her hand, but Meng Xingyao dodged it, her eyes red as she walked away.
This time, Yun Mengxuan didn't stop her. She stood there, watching Meng Xingyao's tall figure disappear into the distance, her own eyes welling up with tears.
Once Meng Xingyao was out of sight, Yun Mengxuan let out a bitter laugh. She slapped herself across the face, once, then again, as if trying to punish herself. She licked the blood from the corner of her lips and walked away, her spirit broken.
Arriving at a hotel room door, Meng Xingyao took a deep breath to calm herself. She checked her reflection in the shiny door frame, forcing a smile onto her otherwise somber face.
But the smile still looked bitter.
She hung the bento boxes on her arm, used her index fingers to pull the corners of her lips into a more cheerful smile, and let go, maintaining the expression. Satisfied, she nodded.
After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the doorbell to Uesugi Chigenki's hotel room.
The door opened quickly, revealing a beautiful face with slightly wavy orange hair and curious eyes that studied Meng Xingyao.
"Breakfast," Meng Xingyao said with a smile, holding up the bento boxes.
Uesugi Chigenki, however, wasn't focused on the food. "Have you... been crying?"
How could she tell?
Uesugi Chigenki reached out and touched Meng Xingyao's cheek.
Feeling the gentle touch, Meng Xingyao froze, not daring to move.
Uesugi Chigenki wiped away the faint, almost invisible tear stains. "You've been crying for a while, haven't you?"
Meng Xingyao lowered her head. She had indeed cried earlier, hiding away in the bathroom to wash her face with cold water. She was sure she had cleaned up properly.
Perhaps a tear had escaped as she left the bathroom.
"Why were you crying?" Uesugi Chigenki asked, her voice filled with concern. Despite how often Meng Xingyao teased her, she had always been kind in many ways.
"It's nothing," Meng Xingyao replied, feeling the urge to cry again at the sudden concern. It was like a child who had fallen and was trying to hold back tears, only to break down when asked if they were hurt.
She shoved the bento boxes into Uesugi Chigenki's hands, hastily wiped away the fresh tears, and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Uesugi Chigenki grabbed her arm.
Meng Xingyao turned back, her eyes red. "What is it?"
"There are two bento boxes," Uesugi Chigenki said, lifting the bags. "I can't finish them alone. Let's eat together."
Meng Xingyao was taken aback. "Really?"
This was only her second time delivering breakfast, and it was going so smoothly? The first time, she hadn't even been allowed inside!
"But you can't bully me!" Uesugi Chigenki warned. She had been brought to tears by Meng Xingyao countless times. Just when she started to feel a bit of affection for her, Meng Xingyao would start acting up.
Now, Uesugi Chigenki was almost afraid of her.
"Okay!" Meng Xingyao wiped her tears and smiled.
Once inside, Uesugi Chigenki ran to the fridge and grabbed two cans of soda, handing one to Meng Xingyao.
Sitting at the table, Uesugi Chigenki clasped her hands together with her chopsticks, seemingly saying a silent prayer, then began eating her breakfast with a sip of soda in between.
Meng Xingyao couldn't help but stare at Uesugi Chigenki's profile as she ate. Her orange hair was tucked behind her ears, her jawline soft and elegant, her lips a delicate shade of pink like cherry blossoms.
Uesugi Chigenki noticed Meng Xingyao's intense gaze and shifted slightly away, a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
Is she... going to bully me again?
(Author's Note: I initially didn't want to make changes, as it might not be fair to readers who have already gone through the story.
However, Chapter 41 touched on national sentiments, which caused an uproar. At the time, I didn't fully consider the stance of China, leading to misunderstandings.
I had intended to portray Uesugi Akizuki's domineering nature, but in hindsight, it was a foolish oversight.
I sincerely apologize to everyone.
Additionally, the so-called "toxic elements" mentioned by readers are actually part of the setup. I won't let these elements surface until the story fully unfolds, and I strive to avoid all clichés and toxic tropes.
Perhaps the strong sense of immersion stirred up emotions. My apologies.)
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
e school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
