In the completely dark rental room.
No windows, no fresh air.
The entire space was less than 150 square feet.
It could only fit a bed, a desk, a large wardrobe, and a full-length mirror.
The digital drawing tablet on the desk dimly lit up.
The faint blue light reflected in a pair of beautiful eyes, but for some reason, the owner of these beautiful eyes seemed to be frozen in place, motionless.
In the room, cheap takeout boxes were piled like mountains, and the cosplay outfits in the huge wardrobe were somewhat messy;
The blanket on the bed wasn't folded neatly, and for some unknown reason, sharp tools like art knives were thrown beside the pillow.
Standing out from all this was the room's owner, staring blankly at the line of text on the screen in front of the computer desk.
"Life is hard, don't forget your original intention."
The Twitter comment notification stayed there.
Although the accumulated comments and likes numbered 999+, she no longer cared about any praise or abuse.
But the person who left this message was her only hidden follower, the most important person who had been continuously providing her with commissions a year ago, allowing her, a novice artist, to gradually transition to where she was now—to survive until now.
At that time, the part-time Taobao store manager had been very clear: "Lubia, if you bring our store one more negative review this month, pack your bags and get out. We have at least 50 artists, and the negative reviews of the other 49 combined aren't as many as yours alone. Heh, you're not a spy sent by our competitors, are you?"
"..."
Unacknowledged, nowhere to go, no skills, unwilling to sell herself.
Although her Twitter subscriber count was decent, it only provided less than 2,000 yuan in monthly income.
In Tianhai City, where prices were skyrocketing, it wasn't even enough to barely rent this dark rental room.
Fortunately, at that time, she met Boss.
Boss contacted her via email and later threw five commissions her way.
As if knowing her situation, Boss didn't haggle over prices.
At the commercial illustration rate, it was 8,000 per piece, earning her 40,000.
40,000 yuan, even in Tianhai City, would be enough to live frugally for half a year.
Unlike others, Boss seemed very casual, never asking for revisions or multiple modifications.
He even liked letting her express herself freely, only providing a framework, never interfering with anything else.
Most importantly, even though she could only draw big-breasted anime girls, Boss didn't mind, and even praised such works as having character, his tone far from perfunctory.
Gradually, talking to Boss and pestering him became the only interesting thing in her garbage-like life.
Boss was naive, treating her like a brother.
Perhaps in his eyes, she really was just some creepy old otaku?
"Sigh~"
Walking to the mirror, in the blue light from the screen, she gazed at herself.
Black hair reaching her waist, mountains protruding from her chest, toes invisible when looking down.
Her legs, praised by others as perfect, were straight, her waist delicately slim.
Her skin was pink and white, looking soft and smooth to the touch.
The only flaw was the bandage wrapped around her wrist, spotted with blood.
Matching the dried red on the art knife's blade.
"38-year-old unemployed doujin artist" was the disguise she created for herself, making her seem bolder when communicating with the Taobao store manager and other difficult clients, appearing less easy to bully.
But now, she somewhat regretted this disguise.
How should she...
How should she...
Explain it?
If someday, she developed the desire to meet Boss in person...
What expression would he show when he saw her?
Shock?
Confusion?
Disgust?
Or intolerance for the deception?
...
Taking her phone from the heart-shaped leg garter at her thigh, the blue light slowly moved upward.
Illuminating that long snow-white neck, perfect facial contours, delicate nose and black eyes, and those naturally plump, dewy cheeks.
The pure and exquisite features combined to form an ultimate weapon that would make even young girls feel insecure.
She was already 24 years old.
Although she had graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts not long ago, due to her social anxiety and not wanting to find work, plus her family's relentless pressure to get married, she had no choice but to pack her bags and come to this city where ordinary people could barely afford to live.
The reflection in the mirror looked beautiful, with a perfect figure and excellent conditions, but in others' eyes, she was nothing more than a tool for lust and release.
Once, a talent agent with ulterior motives approached her asking if she wanted to join a "media company" as a model, earning 30,000 a month, only needing to follow the leader's requirements for photoshoots and cosplay.
She was naive then, only realizing at the company's door that it was a small workshop, and during the interview, they actually required female models to undress.
Watching several other models around her bow their heads for those verbal promises of money, she chose to give up the opportunity and walk away.
Looking back now, how much was her cheap self-respect worth anyway?
It was quite laughable.
Her drawing skills were terrible, only able to draw herself while looking in the mirror, completely unable to draw anything else.
No talent, no other motivation to survive.
She couldn't do physical labor, and moreover, just going out would result in men's lewd gazes licking all over her.
Without realizing it, her social anxiety had gotten even worse.
"Ah."
"At least there's Boss, at least Boss doesn't mind me, treats me like a brother."
Actually, ever since receiving Boss's commissions, she had mustered up the courage to try finding her "original intention" again.
She created a project in a hidden folder, starting to try drawing original characters again.
Every day and night, she stayed in this 3,000-yuan rental room, honing her drawing skills, doing yoga, exercising, surviving on the meager income from cosplay posts on Twitter, waiting.
She had been hoping that Boss would start a new book soon, that he would suddenly notice her improvement.
She had been carefully inquiring, constantly sharing erotic images to figure out Boss's preferences, and creating characters according to his tastes, wanting to touch his heart.
Of course, touching his heart with just her drawing skills wouldn't be enough.
So she made a major decision that all future cosplays would be based on his preferences, completely original.
Let him see that she had never forgotten her original intention, had always been struggling forward.
If under these conditions, Boss gradually came to like her cosplay, wouldn't that indirectly mean he... liked her a bit too?
At that time, using excuses like "Since we're both in Tianhai, why don't we meet to discuss character designs?"...
Wouldn't that be more natural?
"Hehe... Boss..."
Tang Hua turned from the mirror to look at the wall.
One could vaguely see that all three walls, including the ceiling, were completely covered with printed papers of a male college student's social media selfies, ID photos, author profile pictures, subway side profiles, photos of him going to and from school, and candid shots from the breakfast shop below Tianhe Platinum Apartments.
All the printed papers had uniform traces that resembled dried saliva, their uneven adhesive surfaces having endured unknown soakings and washings.
...
...
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
] [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!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
