The floor was ice-cold, and the pool water was chilly. Fu Nanzhi's body was damp with sweat, and when the gentle breeze blew across her delicate skin, it raised goosebumps.
The cold kept creeping into her body.
"I can't stay on the floor any longer," Fu Nanzhi thought to herself.
Otherwise, she'd not only be injured but catch a cold as well.
Looking at the entrance hall not far away, Fu Nanzhi thought it would be better to slowly inch her way there.
But her body was currently facing the swimming pool, so she needed to turn her body first, letting the uninjured side touch the ground.
Carefully adjusting her posture, Fu Nanzhi tried her best not to put any pressure on her injured parts.
Just then, the doorbell rang, followed by Shen Yi's voice coming through the main gate outside.
"Fu Nanzhi! Fu Nanzhi!! Open the door!"
Fu Nanzhi froze upon hearing this. Having been so focused on moving, she had completely forgotten that Shen Yi was coming.
She hurriedly called out, "Wait... wait, I can't come to the door right now."
But her voice wasn't nearly as loud as Shen Yi's, and being so far away, she wasn't sure if he had heard her.
Fu Nanzhi had only turned halfway when she heard Shen Yi banging on the door outside.
With no time to wonder how Shen Yi had gotten into the community, Fu Nanzhi looked down at her swimsuit in panic. It wasn't much better than underwear, and the exposure was already beyond her comfort zone.
In her anxiety, she ignored the pain and forcefully twisted her body to try to get up.
But her ankle couldn't bear any weight. She only managed a scream before falling backward into the pool.
"Ah!"
The endless pool water rushed into her nose and mouth, choking Fu Nanzhi until her mind went blank.
Fortunately, her instincts remained, and she unconsciously kicked her legs in the water, but the pain didn't disappear just because she was underwater.
The intense pain made her swallow a mouthful of water, and this choking made her limbs go weak, unable to exert any strength. Gradually, her struggles became weaker.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, what crossed Fu Nanzhi's mind wasn't survival, but rather the thought that she hoped Shen Yi wouldn't see her in such a sorry state.
...
The security guard who had received Shen Yi stared at the shattered access card reader on the ground, finding the situation utterly absurd.
'If you had an emergency, you could have just said so. This isn't a border checkpoint or a DUI stop, what's the point of forcing your way in? Are we filming a movie?'
In this high-end residential area, there had been people who tried to force their way in before, but none as blatant as this one today.
Before he could think further, the intercom buzzed, and the security team quickly sprang into action upon receiving the message.
Setting aside the situation at the entrance, Shen Yi, consumed with anxiety, rushed straight in, counting house numbers as he sprinted along.
After three consecutive turns, house number 114 was right before his eyes.
Shen Yi barely had time to turn off the engine, hastily parked, unbuckled his seatbelt, and rushed to the door, alternating between pounding on it and ringing the doorbell.
"Fu Nanzhi! Fu Nanzhi!! Open the door!"
After shouting and hearing no response from inside, Shen Yi immediately wanted to break down the door.
But seeing how thick the security door was, Shen Yi didn't even hesitate before abandoning that idea and turning his attention to the courtyard wall.
Fortunately, Peaceful Lake Residence was designed with privacy in mind, and the courtyard walls weren't particularly high.
Shen Yi took a few steps back, got a running start, and vaulted over.
Thanks to the system's recent reward of 1 point in strength, the boost was quite noticeable, and he made it into the small garden almost effortlessly.
Going around the garden to the front hall, Shen Yi called out Fu Nanzhi's name while rushing inside.
The small villa didn't look big but felt like a maze, and Shen Yi could only follow the lights inside.
Shen Yi reached the living room and saw the TV was on, but the couch opposite was empty.
"Fu Nanzhi! Fu Nanzhi!"
He turned and ran upstairs to the master bedroom, continuing to call out while heading toward the bathroom.
After knocking on the door with no response, Shen Yi mentally prepared himself before pushing it open, worried about what he might find.
The good news was that it was empty; the bad news was also that it was empty.
Without wasting time, Shen Yi saw no one and rushed back downstairs - besides the bathtub, the only place with water would be the swimming pool.
Leaving the living room and entering the backyard, as soon as he went in, he saw a figure floating in the pool.
In the square swimming pool, long hair spread out in the water like a black whirlpool, creating an indescribable fear as it combined with the dark night.
Seeing this, Shen Yi took one powerful stride and jumped into the pool, embracing the figure in the water and pushing her toward the edge.
Since she was already close to the pool's edge, it didn't take much effort for Shen Yi to drag her ashore.
The bare body lay in Shen Yi's arms, and whether it was from being in the water or the moonlight's reflection, it cast a deathly pale glow on the ground.
Holding her cold, delicate hand that gave no warmth, Shen Yi felt as if a piece of his heart had been hollowed out. At this moment, looking at Fu Nanzhi's tightly closed eyes in his arms, he really couldn't treat this as just a game, just a false simulation.
Laying Fu Nanzhi flat on the floor, Shen Yi recalled the basic first aid he had learned during college military training, and with trembling hands, began performing chest compressions.
He remembered it should be 30 compressions, but couldn't recall if it was two or three rescue breaths.
Shen Yi counted in his head as he pressed, deciding to go with the higher number since he couldn't remember exactly.
Her lips felt like ice, with only her chest retaining a slight warmth. Shen Yi pushed aside any extraneous emotions and mechanically alternated between compressions and breaths.
Perhaps because she hadn't been underwater for long, or maybe because Shen Yi's amateur first aid was working.
"Cough... cough..."
A stream of water came out along with Fu Nanzhi's coughs.
...
Swimming could be counted as one of the few hobbies in Fu Nanzhi's life.
Sometimes she would think that if she had to die, dying in water probably wouldn't be too uncomfortable.
It would be just like falling asleep.
Reality proved otherwise, as Fu Nanzhi painfully coughed up a mouthful of clear water, slowly regaining consciousness.
Opening her eyes in a daze, Fu Nanzhi saw someone kneeling on the ground facing her, hands interlocked, continuously pressing down.
"What is he doing?"
Fu Nanzhi stared blankly at that person, her consciousness seemed waterlogged, unable to focus, as if she were dreaming.
Before Fu Nanzhi could think further, she saw that person suddenly lean down and move his face closer to hers.
Almost instantly, Fu Nanzhi's pupils focused, and she unconsciously raised her weak, sore arm to block him.
The force was barely stronger than a caress.
"This... this is forced molestation... I'm... I'm a lawyer..."
Her voice was weak and barely audible. If Shen Yi hadn't been preparing to alternate with rescue breaths, he might not have noticed she was awake.
Hearing her voice, Shen Yi's worried heart finally settled.
But what followed was more confusion and anger. Here he was taking care of her, yet her current attitude was truly disappointing.
Hearing her words, Shen Yi contained his anger and said coldly:
"Counselor Fu seems to be in good spirits. I wasn't aware you had a hobby of diving in your home pool."
At the sound of this familiar voice, Fu Nanzhi immediately came to full consciousness.
"Shen Yi!"
Resolve] Gu Yang was once a true disciple of the Falling Cloud Sect, but after failing to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, his cultivation regressed, his foundation was damaged, his lifespan was nearing its end, and he was about to be demoted to a menial servant. At his moment of despair, he awakened the [Daily Intelligence System]. By refreshing it daily, he could learn about countless hidden opportunities and secrets within the cultivation world! [Today's intelligence has been refreshed] [White Intelligence: One month ago, the Foundation Establishment spiritual item "Profound Ice Spirit Marrow" used by the host to attempt his breakthrough contained a trace of the poison "Bone-Corrobing Spirit-Dissolving Powder".] [Purple Intelligence: Tonight during the Yin hour (3-5 AM), a wisp of "Golden Crow Primordial Flame" will overflow... If this flame is devoured, it can recast the shattered cultivation foundation, fully restore cultivation, and awaken the one-in-ten-thousand—Primordial Supreme Yang Body. [Click to view coordinates]] [Golden Intelligence: Shen Qingyue, a Golden Core elder of the Falling Cloud Sect who possesses the Nine Yin Body, suffers from backlash of cold energy every full moon night, causing her strength to plummet and excruciating pain. Grand Elder Zhao Wuji has secretly bribed Shen Qingyue's personal maid, Hongxiu, and learned the rear gate array node of the protective formation "Clouds and Mist Veiling the Sun Array". Tomorrow late at night, he intends to take advantage of Shen Qingyue's flare-up of the cold poison, when she is weak and unable to resist, to use a secret technique to refine her into a cauldron and force her into a Daoist partnership. [Click to view coordinates]] The cultivation world is a jungle where the strong prey on the weak, and human hearts are as treacherous as ghosts? Sorry, but I can read the script! From then on, relying on his informational advantage, Gu Yang proceeded step by step with careful planning. Seizing opportunities, plundering fortunes. Selling intelligence. Playing rivals against each other. Step by step, he ultimately became the Immortal Emperor!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
