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.)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
