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!"
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.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
