"Huh, Ning Yu, are you going out?"
Shen Qianqian was originally sitting on the sofa, reading comics and munching on snacks. Days off school were nothing short of paradise for her.
"Yes."
Ning Yu casually put on a baseball cap and prepared to open the apartment door.
Shen Qianqian was about to say, "I want to come too!" when she suddenly caught a glimpse of her sister's murderous glare.
It took her only 0.5 seconds to realize: This was a situation she shouldn't be part of.
"No problem! I'll just stay home and be a good girl!"
Shen Qianqian very wisely interpreted Shen Yiyue's gaze.
Ning Yu walked out the door and extended her hand to Shen Yiyue.
Was... she asking to hold hands?
Shen Yiyue had just finished putting on her shoes for going out when she saw Ning Yu smiling and extending her hand.
After hesitating for a moment, she stepped out and took Ning Yu's hand, the action feeling very natural.
Come to think of it, they had held hands before, but wasn't it normal for girls to hold hands?
Walking outside, they wouldn't attract strange glances or pointed fingers from others.
But if two boys were holding hands... they would likely receive odd looks from passersby. Why was that?
Feeling the warmth in Ning Yu's hand, Shen Yiyue thought, despite Ning Yu's always cool lips, her hands always seemed to be warm.
This hand-holding was different from before, as it was now between lovers.
She stole a glance at Ning Yu and noticed her expression was very natural, without any trace of nervousness or shyness, just holding her hand openly.
It was probably just her being too nervous. Every time someone passed by, her heart would race, wondering if others were watching them.
But soon, Shen Yiyue got used to the feeling. The two of them walked through the Ark base, looking just like ordinary sisters.
Not many people paid them much attention.
"Where do you want to go?"
The two had arrived at the central open platform, below which were various functional areas of the base.
"I... I'm fine with anything..."
Shen Yiyue was still daydreaming when she suddenly snapped back to reality upon hearing Ning Yu's question.
"What are you nervous about? Is this your first date?"
Ning Yu noticed her unnatural demeanor.
"Though there aren't really any dating facilities in the Ark. No movies, no good food, just a casual stroll."
She began analyzing where they could go.
"W... well, of course..."
Hearing the word "date," Shen Yiyue felt a little sweet, as this was indeed her first date.
Back in school, she had always been a model student, never thinking about such things.
She had heard that in college, there would be plenty of free time to seriously fall in love, to experience a pure romance untainted by societal concerns.
But just as she reached her senior year of high school, the apocalypse arrived.
But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
Shen Yiyue glanced at Ning Yu beside her, whose silver hair was gently lifted by the breeze.
Luckily, she met Ning Yu.
"Wait! So... Ning Yu, this isn't your first date?"
Shen Yiyue suddenly realized.
"Ning Yu, you said you've only ever liked me..."
Ning Yu was momentarily speechless, as she had indeed "dated" others before, for the sake of missions.
But such "dates" usually ended with someone's life.
"Well... how should I put it? In the past, for work reasons, I've had to 'pretend' to date others."
Ning Yu didn't intend to deceive Shen Yiyue but chose her words carefully, telling the truth without revealing her assassin identity.
"Oh! I get it!"
Shen Yiyue suddenly seemed to understand.
Ning Yu raised an eyebrow, wondering if Shen Yiyue had guessed her assassin identity.
After all, her terrifying methods of killing and torture, combined with the need to "pretend" to date in certain situations, made it easy to deduce.
But that was fine; even if Shen Yiyue knew about her assassin identity, what would it matter?
Ning Yu didn't think Shen Yiyue would start fearing her because of it.
"Ning Yu, did you used to be one of those... rental boyfriends from novels?"
Shen Yiyue said confidently, revealing an answer that nearly made Ning Yu lose her balance.
Uh... she had overestimated Shen Yiyue's "intelligence."
Ning Yu decided to go along with it and improvised:
"Yes, back then, when I was in school and struggling financially, I did that to make a living. You're so smart, Yiyue."
Ning Yu put on an expression that said, "I can't hide anything from you," and then asked:
"Would you... mind?"
"Of course not."
Shen Yiyue shook her head.
"Because Ning Yu, you said you've only ever liked me. I believe you."
This was indeed the truth, but it still made Ning Yu feel a pang of guilt. Maybe she should find a better opportunity to tell Shen Yiyue more about her past.
But revealing too much at once wasn't beneficial. After all, there was plenty of time ahead, and she could take things slowly.
As they arrived at the square in the Ark's functional area, Ning Yu and Shen Yiyue noticed a crowd gathering toward one spot.
It was nearing evening, and most people had finished work, ready to have dinner.
Some Ark jobs continued after dinner, but they came with higher pay.
However, most people had ordinary jobs, so they usually returned to their apartments to rest in the evening. To some extent, this had formed a kind of order similar to the previous world.
This was one reason the Ark provided a sense of security.
"Let's go check it out?"
Ning Yu suggested to Shen Yiyue, as they weren't sure what to do in the base.
"Okay~"
Shen Yiyue didn't really care where they went or if anything interesting happened. To her, just walking hand in hand with Ning Yu was enough to feel immense happiness.
Following the direction where the crowd was gathering, Ning Yu's sharp eyesight allowed her to spot the center of the crowd from a distance.
In the cleared circle was a young man holding a guitar.
So it's this guy, Ning Yu thought with a smile. She didn't expect him to be so popular in the Ark now.
The young man casually tuned his guitar and began strumming.
A murmur of anticipation rose from the crowd, indicating that some had come to listen to him multiple times.
【The traveler wandering in endless desert, seeking a grave out of despair】
【Just as he's about to stop, a hummingbird's song reaches his ear】
It was a song they hadn't heard before, a melancholy tune with a touch of sorrow, and the young man's voice had a deliberately rugged tone, making it sound quite appealing.
Ning Yu held Shen Yiyue's hand as they stood among the crowd, quietly listening along with all the passersby.
In the apocalypse, this was one of the few moments of peace people could enjoy.
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!
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.
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)
invincible power, Gu Changge transmigrates into a fantasy world, bound to a sign-in system that grants him cultivation rewards and various peerless treasures daily. While others struggle desperately to break through their cultivation realms, he has long since reached the pinnacle of the Great Dao, becoming a reclusive Emperor whose true strength even he himself cannot fathom. Originally planning to lie low and retire peacefully on Purple Bamboo Peak, the system suddenly issues a new task — take on disciples. With no other choice, Gu Changge casually picks up a few disciples: The eldest disciple, born with a War God Constitution, is thrown a copy of "War God Stratagems" by him, and ends up conquering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, becoming a peerless War God who sweeps across the cosmos. The second disciple, possessing a Chaos Sword Body, can break all techniques with a single sword, his swordsmanship unmatched throughout history. He points his sword at the heavens: "My master said, the sword and the man stand together. If the sword perishes... my master will give me another one." The third disciple, a reborn Empress who returns to her throne, her elegance and grace overshadowing all beings. And without anyone noticing, his own sect, the Qingxuan Sect, has become the number one sect on the continent. Looking at these unbelievably formidable disciples, Gu Changge, holding the "Primordial Purple Qi" he just signed in for, falls into deep thought: — Wasn't this supposed to be a peaceful retirement? How did I become the ultimate master?!
