Volume 1, Chapter 25: The Vicious Supporting Character Makes Her Entrance

Across the vast expanse of Duxin Lake, distant mountains served as the backdrop, their hues blending with the emerald waters, while a solitary boat added a delicate touch, like a living landscape painting in ink.

A gentle autumn breeze swept across, causing the surface of the lake to ripple and shimmer. A man and a woman sat facing each other in the center of the small boat, while the boatman labored at the stern, pushing the pole. The woman, dressed in a green ruqun, huddled into herself. The jade tassel hairpin in her hair swayed with the breeze, and her locks were whipped into a messy, dancing frenzy.

"Achoo—"

"I wonder if she is doing well. She should have received the gift I sent her by now!" He had thought he had forgotten Zhang Fen, only to suddenly discover that he could still reach out to that world he had deemed dead. In that instant, she was the first person who came to mind.

"You have no idea how vast this world truly is..." He shook his head, looking at Brother Zhao and the others with an expression of indifference.

"Professor Li, I am a new student this year. I wish to be admitted under your tutelage," Ye Shuang said to the old man before her.

If one could see any scene within a thousand miles, it would truly be akin to having eyes that reached across the horizon. Such an effect was indeed unique and extraordinary.

Madam Li Jiang sat in a daze for a moment before shaking her head, stepping down from the carriage, and calling for two maids to wake Chu Jiye.

When the King of Hell received the palm strike sent by Qin Luoyan, he sensed that the other's internal energy was only thirty percent of his own.

Princess Qi'an held nothing back, her face twisted in mockery. Her gaze, sharp as a blade, fell upon Wei Yuyan, as if she longed to carve a piece of flesh right off her.

Suddenly, the most radiant star in the firmament released a power as vast as the sea. It condensed in an instant and descended upon the square like a giant hand, pressing down firmly above the martial arts arena.

Her eyes turned slightly red, as if tears were about to spill over. Chu Xue'er cursed him for a fool in her heart, thinking that, in a way, this wasn't so bad. To die here with the one she loved and her closest friends meant she would no longer have to worry about her father's detestable decision. It was truly for the best.

Chu Xue'er and Shi Yinu attended almost every match, and even Chu Yugui, the young master of the Chu family from the Fourth Heaven, would show up. However, he met a cold shoulder from Ye Shuang, and Shi Yinu chuckled from the sidelines, "A person of few words and ruthless deeds," which spared Chu Yugui a great deal of embarrassment.

As for the grading of the exams, that was even more interesting. Palace affairs were largely decided by the Empress and the Imperial Consort; the latter being Consort Su, the same Madam Su who had once conversed with Ye's mother.

Hearing that Mu Nanfeng was suffering from chest pains, Du Xizhou panicked—could something have truly gone wrong, some sort of complication?

Once Bai Ran had vanished from Peach Blossom Garden, Tang Qinglan sat back on the bed. She stared at her bandaged, bow-tied arm for a long time, finally let out a sigh, folded her quilt into a shape squarer than a block of tofu, and smoothed the sheets until not a single wrinkle remained.

The villa was decorated with extreme luxury, possessing an air of opulence, but by the standards of Zhang Cheng and Zhen Baoqing, it was nothing more than the gaudy taste of the nouveau riche.

She smelled that faint, pleasant scent on him and felt his smooth, ink-black hair brush lightly against her shoulder, grazing the skin of her neck and sending a ticklish shiver down her spine. His breath puffed against her neck, and she felt that his breathing was perhaps slightly ragged. Beneath her collar, her skin couldn't help but tremble slightly.

On the streets, the local residents and the "Earth arrivals" greeted Leader Lin Tian with enthusiasm.

Seeing Ye Xian willing to speak, even if only about trivial matters, Su Zhe could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He smiled as he moved Shi Qing aside, his mood sufficiently improved that he was gentler in his actions.

Lu Dajiao made an impulsive move to embrace her, but Fang Luo caught his arm and pinned him down onto the wooden raft.

Ming Yuqing had never heard of this restaurant, but he directed the driver to take them there anyway. Upon arrival, the man seemed to be in his element, casually ordering several dishes.