Sigh. Zian had already reminded Vladimir earlier not to stare at two or three sheep while shearing them, but it had gone in one ear and out the other. Its habit of using famous quotes was really hard to change.
Zhang Zian resigned. He didn't rush over to say hello to Little Celery. Instead, he first corrected Vladimir. "You shouldn't just use quote famous quotes, as they lack flexibility. She's not even that old and is, at most, like the sun at six or seven o'clock in the morning…"
Vladimir listened to Zian's advice and nodded. "Six or seven o'clock is good too."
"Also, what's the meaning of the Meow Meow Doctrine?" Zian asked. He had heard Vladimir shout the name of its move earlier and somehow felt his chrysanthemum tighten…
Vladimir gave it some thought then explained, "That is a good question… In short, it fights for the freedom, equality, and fairness of stray cats. Its goal is also to free stray cats from being bullied and oppressed so that they can decide on their own destiny!"
"Okay then…" Its answer was acceptable, so Zhang Zian wisely decided not to delve into it. Who knew if he might get an inappropriate answer if he continued on the subject…
Little Celery was used to Zhang Zian conversing with animals, although his partner that day was a blue cat that looked very spirited. She had never seen it in the store before.
As the weather turned warm, Little Celery was not wearing clothes as thick as the ones she wore during the early spring. They were replaced with loose-fitting sportswear that were easy to move in. Her clothes were a half a size bigger than her actual size––after all, children grew up fast and clothes that fit couldn't be worn for long. Her mother was definitely a pragmatist.
In addition, she finally did not need to wear thick hats and scarves, so her iconic pigtails were fully exposed now.
Zhang Zian noticed the direction of her pigtails, then recalled that it was definitely the weekend. Ever since he had taken over the pet shop, he had almost lost the concept of time; however, Little Celery's pigtails were as accurate as ever.
"Little Celery, it's the weekend. Why are you here so early on a weekend? Didn't you want to sleep in?" he asked.
Little Celery looked around and exclaimed, "Wow, there's a lot of people!"
Usually during the early morning, the store was as empty as ever––but wasn't Dog Warrior showing? Many local fans who watched the premiere rushed over early in the morning to find Famous so they could get a photo together; however, the shop was not fully prepared for opening, so they were stopped outside by the staff.
There were so many fans lined up outside, and Famous wasn't willing to make the floor dirty with everyone coming in after the staff had cleaned up the place. If all the fans were to be let in, they would interfere with the business, so Famous went outside the shop and satisfied the fans request for photos out there.
Little Celery only remembered after being asked by Zhang Zian that there was a reason she had stopped by. She quickly said, "I don't have class today, but the hamster in our class is going to give birth soon. My classmates told me to ask you if you could come over to help. Do you have the time?"
Little Celery and her friends had been very serious about raising the hamster; they had formed a feeding plan where daily records were taken by the person on duty each day. Through their care, the hamsters grew well, and several female hamsters had gotten pregnant. Now, despite Zhang Zian's long-term guidance, they had no confidence in handling the childbirth process, so they had Little Celery ask Zhang Zian to come and guide them through the process.
Zhang Zian looked at his schedule, and that day he was as free as usual. If he stayed in the store, he would probably be dragged around by the fans and media then forced to answer their questions, so it was better to just head out for a walk.
What was more, the Zhonghua Road Primary School where Little Celery studied was very close to the shop; it was just minutes away.
"Sure! No problem," Zhang Zian said. "I'll take a trip down with you."
"Thank you, Brother Shop Manager!" Little Celery finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Little Celery, have you eaten?" asked Zian as he touched his own empty belly.
"I have!"
"Then you can play in the shop for a while. We'll leave after I have breakfast."
"Okay!" Little Celery ran into the store cheerfully.
Vladimir, who had been sitting by the side watching and listening, suddenly said, "Can I come along too? I'm new here in Binhai City, so I need to familiarize myself with the nearby terrain and environment. After all, I've got no right to speak without any investigation."
"Sure." Zhang Zian agreed with what it said. He felt that there was nothing wrong with bringing it along.
Zian bought some steamed buns and soy milk, split them between the staff members, and finished his own portion. He then called Little Celery over and left the shop with her.
"Oh… Is this cat coming along with us?" Little Celery asked. She had taken a few steps forward before she turned around and noticed Vladimir tagging along.
Zhang Zian guessed her concerns. "Well, don't worry. It won't hurt the hamsters."
"That's good then." Little Celery finally rested assured.
The current weather was mild and suitable for walking––possibly the best weather for walking in the whole year. Many couples and families were out and about, taking advantage of the good weather. Even Otakus that never left their house were not able to stop themselves from going out for a walk. If they didn't, they would have been wasting such good weather.
On the way down to the school, Little Celery told Zhang Zian about the small problems they had encountered while raising the hamsters, and the interesting things that happened in school. Vladimir followed behind them and observed the unfamiliar city.
Binhai City and the capital were two cities with very different styles. Even if the scale and population of both cities were not taken into consideration, the obvious differences could be seen from their rhythm of life. Due to the limited amount of pressure they placed on life, the residents in Binhai were accustomed a slow and leisurely pace of life.
Occasionally, there would be one or two stray cats on the side of the road or on the wall, and after seeing Vladimir, they didn't have any special reaction. Whether they were fighting or eating food from people's hands, they were no different than usual. They seemed to treat Vladimir as any other ordinary cat, which was very different from their behavior when they saw Fina.
Vladimir was walking leisurely. It would sometimes mumble something and sometimes nod, but Zhang Zian did not know what was going on in its head.
Zhang Zian casually spoke with Little Celery, and periodically he would look back at it. He thought that after leaving the pet shop, Vladimir would be very eager to look around for the Holy Cat statue, however the reality was much different from his own imagination.
Before it could deal with the Holy Cat statue, it had to be located first. The Holy Cat statue was really elusive, and if it were that easy to find, then Zian would have already found it.
Zian was very curious about how Vladimir planned to find the Holy Cat statue in the first place.
Vladimir felt his gaze and smiled back at him with a meaningful smile. The smile was full of self-confidence and it said, "No hurry! No hurry! In any practical work, all the correct leads must come from the puss and blend with the puss!"
Zhang Zian paused. Fortunately, it didn't say into the… puss.
They arrived at the entrance of Zhonghua Road Primary School, and Zhang Zian didn't bother with the Holy Cat statue for the time being. He followed Little Celery into the campus and towards the hamsters.


1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

NEXT DAY
YUJIN POV

I'm in my room scrolling through my phone when suddenly an unknown number called me. Due to confusion I answered it.

Yujin:hello?
??:hello? is this Yujin?
Yujin:uh yeah,may I know who is this?
??:It's me,Si-hyuk 
Yujin:oh uncle Si-hyuk? why did you call?
Uncle Si-hyuk:I'm just asking if we can meet later 4 in the afternoon?
Yujin:may I know why?
Uncle Si-hyuk:I just wanted to know about you more,can I?
Yujin:*hesitated* ok,uh where do we meet?
Uncle Si-hyuk: in a coffee shop,I'll just send you the address 
Yujin:ok

I hung up.the I noticed the time,its already 3 PM.it means I only had one hour left.I get up from bed and get ready.

TIME SKIP

I'm at the coffee shop now,it's my first time here,I hadn't been here before. after some minutes I saw my uncle approaching me and took a sit in front of me.

Uncle Si-hyuk:hi Yujin
Yujin:hi uncle
Uncle Si-hyuk:how was your day?
Yujin:I'm good uncle
Uncle Si-hyuk:that's good.
Yujin:so what do you want to know about me?
Uncle Si-hyuk:I wanted to know...how did you do the songs? I mean,they're beautiful,meaningful,and we feel a lot of emotions in the song. how did you do that?
Yujin:inspiration *I answered without looking at him* every where I go,or in every situation I'm in,I collect some inspiration and add it to my songs. also my mood,if I'm happy,I express it to the song how I feel and the reason of it,when I'm sad and angry I put some sad quotes and add my feelings. That's it.
Uncle Si-hyuk:well that's good then. One more question 
Yujin:what is it?
Uncle Si-hyuk:are you willing to be an artist?
Yujin:what do you mean?
Uncle Si-hyuk:audition in my company,be a trainee,debut,and be a Famous solo artist.
Yujin:huh? why would I?
Uncle Si-hyuk:don't you want it? you'll have a lot of fans,you'll be popular
Yujin:I'm sorry but I'm not interested 
Uncle Si-hyuk:why?
Yujin:because my parents,my friends,and even my auntie and uncle's are popular and that made me popular too,it means wherever I go,when someone recognizes me,they'll get photos,ask for random stuff,follow me everywhere,and even asking me out with them to gain popularity. in short,when someone recognizes me,my day will be ruined. so I don't want to be a artist because I'm  contented in my life now.
Uncle Si-hyuk:oh,fine...but atleast be our composer?
Yujin:*hesitates* ok fine,I'll help on some song,but remember,I won't be a artist nor idol ok?
Uncle Si-hyuk:ok thank you so much Yujin!

he cme to me and hugged me but releases immediately 

Uncle Si-hyuk:thank you so much...but I'll get going now,I still have a lot of works.
Yujin:ok...bye uncle 

He left.wow did he just convinced me to be their producer and left? like what the fuck? After some minutes I was about to go home but when I stood up I bumped into a masked girl and she spilled her coffee to me.

Yujin:omo it's hot *I slightly panicked*
??:omg I'm so sorry *she tries to clean my clothes*
Yujin:I-its okay I'm fine,it's my fault anyways.i didn't see you coming
??:come with me

She dragged me with her to the toilet and handed me a paper bag

Yujin:what's this?
??:change your shirt to that please
Yujin:no it's ok I'm fine
??:no...it's my faultmi didn't see you standing up and bumped into you,so let me fix this by handing you some clothes to change on.
Yujin:ok fine

I took the clothes and change into it.its a pink hoodie that matches my black Jean's. when I get out of the stall I saw a girl without a face mask on, and she's pretty I'm not gonna lie.

Yujin:uhmm had you see a girl with mask on?
??:oh that's me *giggles* well I think my hoodie fits you
Yujin:uh yeah...uhm may I know your name please?
??:you don't know me?
Yujin:obviously 
??:*chuckles* hi,I'm Lalisa Manoban,and I'm a member of group called BackPink.
Yujin:BlackPink? I think I heard that somewhere...*I think for a while* oh!! famous group BlackPink?
Lisa:yup that's us
Yujin:oh...thanks for the hoodie anyways,it matches my Jean'sBy the way I'm Lee Yujin,nice to meet you
Lisa:Lee Yujin? I heard so much about you online,and yeah nice to meet you too

We shake our hands and get out of the toilet and headed to my table before. she ordered drinks for us.

Lisa:what are you doing here anyways?
Yujin:I met up with my uncle,and I was about t leave when I bumped into you
Lisa:sorry are you in a hurry?
Yujin:no actually. how about you?
Lisa:I'm meeting up with my unnies and bumped into you
Yujin:unnies? you mean your bandmates?
Lisa:yup,Jennie,Jisoo,and Rosè unnie,and I'll introduce you to them
Yujin:oh ok

after 5 minutes 3 masked girls came to us and sat down. they took out they're mask and faced lisa

Lisa:unnie your here,let me introduce you to Lee Yujin,Lee Yujin they are my bandmates
??:hi I'm jennie nice to meet you
??:I'm Park Chaeyoung but call me Rosè
??:Hello I'm Jisso
Yujin:and your BackPink?
Lisa:yup!
Yujin:nice to meet you all *smiles*

We drink our coffee talk about random stuff,and exchanges our numbers.And now I'm heading home walking. after minutes I felt someone following meso I fastened my pace.When im near at our house I looked back and see no one behind me,I then ran into the house and quickly went in my room.i took my laptop out and hacked CCTV's near our house. I look for the cam where I felt someone following me and found it. I reviewed the video and watched,when I see myself walking in a fast pace I saw a boy behind me,he looked kinda familiar so I zoomed in the face and I'm right,it's my childhood friend Marco.i sigh and texted called him in the phone.And he picked it up.

Marco:I guess you know it's me already?
Yujin:yes and care to explain?
Marco:I saw at the internet that your here in korea so I looked for you but I don't know where you live so I go to a coffee shop to rest when I saw you with BlackPink,and your heading home walking so I decided to surprise you but you walked helle fast and I think if I ran after you,you'll also run,so I just stayed at my speed and kept following you,when I saw you where you were heading I finally know your house and get home. that's it
Yujin:do you know how worried and  nervous I am?
Marco:*chuckles*sorry I won't do it again
Yujin:meet me tomorrow,at Hann River,9 PM sharp
Marco:ok
Yujin:see you bye

I hung up and go downstairs greeted by Kevin.

Yujin:where's mom?
Kevin:kitchen

I go to the kitchen to see my mother cooking

Yujin:mom...what are you cooking?
Mom:your favorite
Yujin:really? 
Mom:call themothers now,I'll prepare the table
Yujin:ok

I call Chungha and Kevin to the dining area and we started to eat.after eating I head to my room and slept because I'm tired.

it was the month of July, my exams were finished. And I got busy with my boring life, reading books and novel, posting sad quotes of my own on my facebook page "HAUNTED TIMES". That time i was reading a novel "THE BOY WHO LOVED" by "DURJOY DUTTA" sir. It was suggested by Riya, she is a very good friend of mine. In short she's my soul sister. spoiler alert..!The Boy Who Loved" is the story of a school going boy called Raghu Ganguly who lives in Delhi with his family. On the outside, he is just your regular guy – loving parents, good academics, a respectable family with decent means. But that is just a façade. Deep down Raghu harbours a secret guilt – that he had let his friend down; he had let him die.Raghu likes to show that there is nothing remarkable about his life - loving middle-class parents, an elder brother he looks up to, and plans to study in an IIT. And that's how he wants things to seem - normal.
Deep down, however, the guilt of letting his closest friend drown in the school's swimming pool gnaws at him. And even as he punishes himself by hiding from the world and shying away from love and friendship, he feels drawn to the fascinating Brahmi - a girl quite like him, yet so different. No matter how hard Raghu tries not to, he begins to care ...
Then life throws him into the deep end and he has to face his worst fears. So yeah it was an amazing story.

whan I am travelling lonely in a train I saw you . that you look gorgeous and beautiful with white skin and with a sphere face . By seeing you I want express all my feelings with you that treat you as a ... I loved that feeling when I saw you. As I am moving you are also coming with me up to my destination . As I think I am so lucky to travel with you . I want share my thoughts  with you I don't know that you listen my feelings are not but I want to say with. I think this journey is my fantastic journey in my life that I have ever travelled. As you woke me up when I slept in train with your sparkling light .     And when I see you in my journey I thought that all my negative gone away.
I just you want to ask one thing that is I want you to be travel with me every journey with me . By seeing you my heart has broken up into fragments and melted in happy fluid . I think when you come with me that journey is safe for me . I want to say many things about you but my life time is short that much big you are for me . To express feelings there no need any quotes just one heart  
is enough . I don't know what I should call you but at finally all are calling you as a **MOON** Then I also go for it my lovely moon .Then we will meet again in the next journey .

[Achievement unlocked! Die 100 times]
[User is granted 1000 Points]
[Shop is now available]
"What?"
Marlin was confused at what was happening. He had now died 100 times. Is that what it was saying? He didn't know much apart from making weapons and killing but knowing that he had now died 100 times according to this voice.
He did not know what was going on so decided to ask some questions.
"What is this shop that you speak of?"
[A shop is a location where goods and services are bought and sold]
"Ok, is that like when I want to exchange some of my deer for some leather? Is that right?"
[Correct]
"Ok I see"
Currently Marlin was within the void as he liked to call it. This was the space he would be transported to every time he died. In this space he had no body and the only thing here was just his thoughts.
"Now what do you mean I have got 1000 points and that the shop is now available?"
[Firstly, Points are granted by killing living beings or by accomplishing difficult things. Such as, slaying a demi-god or by establishing a kingdom. However, those are some of the most difficult ones to achieve]
[Secondly, the shop is granted to the user when a major achievement is unlocked for the first time]
"Ok. I think I get it."
"Also, why am I here?"
Ever since Marlin had been reborn in the body of that baby he had always wondered if there was ever going to be a way out. There had to be seem reason it was him. Although, he was strong in his past life he didn't think that wouldn't be the reason for some gods to do this to him.
[You are here to grow stronger]
"But why am I constantly being reborn in this world?"
[User's strength is insufficient to obtain such knowledge]
"Hmmm"
Since Marin couldn't get any information out of this voice it would be better to just focus on thinking on how to become stronger so that next time, he was reborn he could put up a fight. Marlin would be disappointed if this shop just had a couple wooden spears and then some food. 
But Marlin thought that if that was the case, he would just go off himself but ironically, he would just be reborn again. Marlin knew that this shop was the key to becoming stronger. Maybe he could become strong enough to kill those wolves but Marlin highly doubted that.
If he could find something useful to survive in this shop maybe he might be hopeful again.
"Ok bring me to this shop"
[Transporting user to shop]
Suddenly, the darkness that Marlin was used to seeing was now being invaded by a bright light in the distance. This light came closer and closer until it was right in front of him. 
What now laid in front of Marlin there three colossal square black pillars towering into the sky. There was a bright white spotlight shining upon all three pillars and as you looked up you could see no end to how tall these pillars were.
If you looked closer, you could barely see small indents that riddled all three of the pillars. Marlin then looked Infront of him and saw a small altar lecter with a small ancient leather book on top.
"Umm how is this a shop?"
[This is a special type of shop]
"So how do I buy things like a normal shop would let you do?"
[Pick up the book and read it. You shall understand how everything works]
"Ok. But I don't have hands or anything to pick it up with"
[Juts think that you are going to do something such as moving or picking up that book and its shall happen]
Marlin then imagined the book floating in the air towards him and it opening up. To his surprise it happened, and the book now laid in front of him open in its first page.
"Ummm, what is this book thing again?"
[A book is an object that holds certain information or knowledge. You can access it by opening the cover and flipping over the pages. You can use books to tell stories, retell parts of history, explain how parts of the world work and many other things]
"That sounds really complicated"
[Indeed, it is]
Marlin then looked at the characters but couldn't understand them and was about to ask the voice another question but was promptly interrupted by a large pain in his non existent head.
"AAAAAHH"
Marlin couldn't do anything but wait until this pain subsided. This pain was akin to a massive stone being hammered on top of his head. This pain came in waves and Marlin couldn't focus at all and put his thoughts in chaos.
After a while of this pain attacking him it finally calmed down. The pain was still there but not as strong.
"What was that? Did you do that to me?"
Marlin was quite mad at what had happened and wanted an explanation.
[This pain was the effect of the knowledge of the characters and words within the book being sent to your brain. This is because if you didn't understand what you were buying it would be akin to gambling. You might even go into debt and that is not what you want]
"Ok, well could you have done it in a way that wouldn't hurt as much"
[Do not worry, in the future when similar things such as this the pain will be much more mild so we may as well get it out of the way]
"I see"
After finishing his conversation with the voice, he looked closed the book again and looked at the cover of this book and the letters on it. Marlin didn't know why but these letters seemed to be swaying side to side in his vision and was like an illusion and had much difficulties understanding what it said.
At some moments he could discern the letters, but it was only for the briefest of a moment and even if he saw what it read, he would forget what it was the next second. It was very weird, as if something was stopping him from trying to read it but didn't mind it. This voice and whatever gods were playing with him had their secrets.
So, he may as well stop poking his nose into their business. They have granted him the power of being reborn over and over and have given him something to do with his life which he was kind of grateful for and unhappy at the same time for. 
His past life was incredibly boring in his eyes. Now that something interesting was happening to him he couldn't really care. He just wants to live out his life and go with the flow. 
Marlin then reopened the book and read the introduction
'Within this book lays the strength that will be necessary for survival within the cruel world below. There are 3 ways you can grow your power. Physical, knowledge and magic. You can buy these certain powers from the following categories by killing or achieving great things within your lifetime. There are no limits to what you can do. These things give you a corresponding amount of points which you can then buy abilities with. In order to buy something, you rip out the page of the ability that you wish to buy and the cost of it shall be deducted from your points. If the cost of the item exceeds the amount of points you hold then you will go into debt. If in your next life you cannot pay off the amount of points that you owe you will face punishment. The greater amount of points you owe the greater the punishment. In extreme cases you will be stripped of all abilities and be forced to be reborn as a slave serving a high-level power for 1000 thousand lives. You can unlock abilities by doing certain things. Such as, dying of starvation 1000 times will let you buy an ability that makes you not need to eat any food for your whole life. There are two different types of achievements. Major achievements and minor achievements. Major Achievements give you points and the ability that you unlock with it Is free. Minor achievements do not give points and the ability you unlock is not free. Now go, become stronger'
After reading the introduction he then understood how this whole shop worked. It felt like some demon ritual and as he looked at these 3 pillars, he seemed even more suspicious of what was going on.

He flipped over to the next page and saw his points count written on the page.
'1000 points'
"I don't want to become accidentally in debt and receive a punishment so I'll remember this number.
Marlin then looked through the whole book seeing everything he could buy while stroking his non-existent beard as if hoping he could gain insight on what was the best thing to buy. You know what they say, old men with beards are incredibly wise.


Animal Charm- 
Due to your aura of friendliness and the wonderful smell that comes off you, most lifeforms will be less likely to kill you and might even become 
[Unlock Requirements – Eaten by animals 10 times]
1000 points
Exercise Knowledge- 
You will gain the necessary knowledge to know how to train your body and what exercises are best for what muscles
 [push your body to the physical limit of complete exhaustion 25 times]
700 points
Painless Death 
-All pain will go away but in return your whole body will go limp and you cannot move permanently 
[Die 100 times]
(I wonder what you could use this for? -system, unknown date)
1500 points
Flexible Body
-Your body will be much more flexible
[Push your body to the limits of how much it can be bent to 50 times]
400 points
Plant Man
-You receive more calories from vegetable and fruit
[eat only plants for 10 consecutive lives]
(Over my extensive time studying this rare specimen of human I had discovered he could survive on one piece of lettuce for over a whole month despite being put through intensive exercise the hole duration – Doctor Stein, Wonders of the Human Body, AC 3001)
800 points
Nerve Strengthening
-Actions that are constantly repeated have nerve connections that are 10 times stronger and quicker to respond than normal.  
[Repeat a particular action with the body until it becomes instinctual]
5 000
Animal Repellent
-The taste of your body is extremely horrific. Your body can even cause dizziness, headaches and vomiting to the lifeforms who eat you. 
[eaten by animals 20 times]
1400 points
Young and pitiful
-Lifeforms will feel pity for you and they will be less likely to hurt you while you are a baby
[Die 25 times as a child]
500 points
Danger Sense
-Within a certain distance depending on how strong you are you will be able to detect the strength of lifeforms within your detection range.
[Killed by stronger opponent 25 times]
3000 points
Tears of a Goddess
-Lifeforms will feel much more sympathy for you while you are crying
[Cry 99 times]
550 points
[Coward's Run]
-You run 25% faster while running from enemies
[Run from opponents 25 times]
2000 points
Going Back To your Roots
-Your crawling is 150% faster 
 [Only crawl for 20 lives]
(He slaughtered all our men while just crawling on all fours – General Rainer, 1722 BC)
2000 points
The Need for Food
-You will receive more calories from food
[Die from starvation 5 times]
400 points
Virgin for Life
-The urge to participate in intercourse is much weaker than it normally would be
[Be a virgin for 69 lives]
-800 points
Dying Wish
-While under 10% health you receive 3x strength, 3x agility and all combat skills are improved. However, 3 minutes after you will pass out.
[Fight back even when on the brink of death 50 times]
(Although the Master of the One strike Dojo had been cornered on the battlefield by thousands of the Black Tree empire's men, His strikes cut down over eight hundred hundred men before collapsing to the ground due to exhaustion – Chapter sixty two of 'The history of the Black Tree Empire', Scholar Tian, 40044 BC)
10 000 points
Hard Teeth
-Your bite strength is two times stronger than normal
[Bite your enemies during combat 10 times]
800 points
Hidden power
-Opponents are more likely to underestimate you
[Injure or kill a stronger opponent 20 times]
(The city of Tross had been shaken when the unbeatable Arena champion had been beaten by but a street merchant – Chapter thirteen of 'The Rising Meteor's Academy book of Essential Fighting Concepts', Author unknown, 221 AC)
1000 points
Loner
-You have less need to socialize and are less likely to go crazy with extended periods of no contact with humanity
[Do not socialize for 10 lives]
300 points
Life is quick isn't it?
-You can expend your life energy to gain strength for a short period of time. The amount of Strength granted increases the more life energy that is expended. The longer your life expectancy is the longer you are granted strength for
[Live for less than 5 years for 50 lives]
 (Using the forbidden art inherited by his forefather he greatly increased his strength in a short amount of time, quickly becoming the strongest person within the continent. He razed over half of humanity's land quickly killing over 70% of the continent's population. But, as he was razing one of the villages on the border of the continent he fell limp and died, Stanley An, Chapter one of 'The Short Lived Emperor', BC 103410)
5 000 points
750 points
Growing Boy
-Reborn as 5-year-old for all future lives 
[die as a baby 50 times]
1000 points
Hide Life Energy
-Can hide all life energy from most lifeforms
[Die due to being detected by your powerful life energy]
(General Joki was a spineless coward who faked his death with underhanded tactics, Dictator Cakil, 19651 BC)
2500 points
As Marlin read through the book multiple comments went through his head.
"Oh, the wolves might not kill me if I had that but considering that I'm so yummy they won't spare me"
"If I have that I could train my body to as strong as I was in my past life with the right knowledge"
"I could use that if im about to die a really painful death, but I don't really need it. I can handle the pain"
"Yeah I probably got that because I got bent in really bad ways before dying. I thought I as gonna go crazy if that kept happening but luckily, I am very strong"
"I couldn't get my hands on any meat cause of how slow I was so those plants and fruits I could get my small hands on. Wait?  What's this. Can you help me please.
[What is it]
"What are these things under the unlock requirements and between the point costs?"
[Those are quotes. Quotes are sentences said by a person and or a sentence written within a book]
"So, there is a guy who could survive with only one piece of lettuce for a month while doing a lot of hard work the whole time. What if it's not true and it's not as strong as it says"
[All of the quotes are true, and the examples shown are a certain degree of the ability. These people do hold that ability however, there are slight deviations from the one that you receive and how powerful the ability is most likely to be different from the on in the quote. The quote is to give an example of it and nothing more even if how powerful it is differing from the quote. That is also another part of buying an ability. If you are given an exact description of each ability, then it will be much easier to pick an ability. You are not a child; you are very mature and do not need that amount of help. You are only given only so much information about it and it is up to you to choose which one is best from the little information that you are given]
"Well, I shall take that advice"
Marlin then continued reading through the book.
"Virgin for 69 lives? Well that is quite a sneaky insult"
"WOAH, that master of the one strike dojo sounds really strong. I wonder if I can ever learn from him"
"Nerve strengthening? That's probably because of how much I crawled"
"Tears of a goddess? I cried every time I was reborn and had to stop it every time. That was annoying."
"So, I could be able to hide my life energy. Wait, did I keep dying because those wolves could see my life energy! No wonder."
"What? If I could be reborn as a child from now on, I wouldn't have to be crawling the whole time."
After looking through the whole book he came to a decision.
Marlin then flipped over the page titled 'Growing Boy'. Marlin ripped the page with his mind and the flawless white paper then crumbled up into a ball as it ripped off the page despite Marlin not thinking it. The paper then kept condensing. It was the size of tennis ball, then a grape and then a grain of sand. Marlin kept looking closer and closer as if it was some cool toy he had just found.
Suddenly, this ball of paper lit up and was now a large line of fire. Marlin moved back with his mind and saw this line of fire travel like a snake towards the first pillar. This ability was under the Physical section so he thought that this pillar must be for physical abilities.
The line of fire then went to and area about 5 meters from the base of the pillar and flew into the pillar like a ghost. The pillar then glowed a bright red hue and slowly the red hue travelled to where the small line of fire had entered from. When all the red hue light had travelled to where the line of fire had entered disappeared from some weird symbols appeared on the pillar. These symbols were incredibly complicated and seemed to be made from lava or fire. Marlin flew further to the pillar and suddenly met and invisible barrier sending pain into his head
"Ow"
Marlin then got a closer look and saw the small indents in the pillar were actually in a similar shape of those lave symbols. Marlin thought these pillars were cool and mysterious at the same time but didn't stop looking at the pillar until a couple minutes later due to being so consumed in those symbols.
Marlin looked around himself one more time and asked,
"How do I leave?"
[Shortly after, after you make a purchase you are supposed to leave but seeing you so interested in those symbols made me hold off the leave a bit as it would be rude interrupting someone who is doing something they are interested in]
"Thanks. See you soon then"
[Goodbye]

Marlin is a normal male hunter tribesman.

One day he dies.

He is now reborn in the body of a baby who has been abandoned in the middle of a forest.

Dying over and over with no way out he dies an excruciating death over and over by the hands of hungry wolves.

After experiencing the taste of death countless times he then hears a voice in his head.

[Achievement unlocked! Die 100 times]

[User is granted 1000 Points]

[Shop is now available]

Now what?

(Story inspired by cjet799's story 'Perks of Immortality'. I haven't seen many books like PoI so i decided to make a book using the concept of PoI. I will try my best to make my story distuingishable from his. btw his story is on RoyalRoad.

First, he called up Marcella. If the broker already had a deal lined up, then Ves was in big trouble.

"It's not a responsible move to spring this road trip on me all of a sudden." Marcella icely said. "Besides, do you think you even stand a chance? The Leemar competition is one of the fiercest stages in the entire star sector."

Ves shrugged. He had zero confidence in winning anything before he upgraded his mechanics, but now was different. "I have my own advantages. I think I can hold my own."

Despite Marcella's constant harranging, Ves remained steadfast in his determination to go to Leemar. Eventually the broker threw up her arms.

"Fine, be that way. Don't make me see you again only to tell you I told you so. I'll slow down and stretch out the negotiations for the current deal in progress. Maybe this trip might not be an entirely bad thing. If you stand out and perform well at Leemar, your business will pick up remarkably."

Unspoken was the fact that Marcella really held little confidence in Ves. Though he impressed him enough to do business with him, that was accounting his potential. Too little time had passed for him to really grow into his own. On paper, he stood zero chance of even reaching the top 1000 in Leemar.

Marcella took the time to explain the nuances of visiting the Friday Coalition. Unlike the Bright Republic, the Coalition is a lot more vigilant and scrutinized outsiders more strictly. The citizens also treated immigrants from third-rate states rather poorly, at least until they have proved themselves. All in all, Ves should keep to himself and do nothing to attract the ire of his hosts.

"Even if the Friday Coalition is one of the weakest second-rate states in the galaxy, it has still reached a height the Bright Republic can never achieve. They consider themselves the true rulers of the Komodo Star Sector and are not shy in demonstrating their might."

Ves eventually hung up after receiving an earful of caution from Marcella. He frowned a little. Did he underestimate the Coalition? It started as a refuge for persecuted people and still widely advertised their generous immigration policies for talented professionals. They blatantly poached the best and brightest of the surrounding third-rate states for centuries, keeping smaller states like the Bright Republic a remote backwater.

"There's more to the Coalition than meets the eye." He concluded. The only things he knew about the Coalition came from history books and the occasional drama broadcast. Now that he thought about it, the Republic probably didn't dare publish any material that was critical of the Coalition.

"I've got to ensure my safety somehow. Travelling alone to Leemar as a single mech designer is too dangerous. Though I'm not anything hot, someone might still try to find trouble with me if I'm all alone and defenseless."

It wasn't unheard of for vulnerable mech designers to get poached through one way or another. Simple physical intimidation was enough to make most of them sign a restrictive contract. After all, they spent their entire lives designing war machines instead of improving their personal combat skills.

"I should bring a bodyguard."

As Ves expected his trip to take up to two months, the price of hiring a bodyguard shouldn't be too exorbitant. "Luckily I completed the sale of my second mech. I'm not short on credits."

The only question was who to hire. Should he go to Bentheim and contract a mercenary? "Well, maybe I don't need to travel that far. If I recall, SASS should be a security company that originates from a second-rate state. Perhaps they extend the reach of their services to the Friday Coalition as well. It's worth a try."

He activated his comm and contacted the representative of Sanyal-Ablin. Miss Robyn's pretty face emerged from the projector with a smile.

"Ah, Mister Larkinson, a pleasure to see you again. How can I help you?"

"I'm planning a short trip to Leemar in order to take part in the mech design competition there. I'd like to ask if you can provide a bodyguard to accompany me there?"

Robyn maintained her smile though some tension appeared in her eyes. "We do offer short-term contracts for guards, but if you wish to extend this service to the Coalition, then it will cost you quite a bit. Your guard has to meet very high standards in order to cope with the caliber of opponents he or she may face."

"Give me a number."

She paused a little while she consulted some numbers. "Around nine-and-a-half million credits for a two-month contract."

He almost spurted blood at that exorbitant price. That was half a mech's worth of money!

"Do you have any more affordable options?"

"None that our company allows. This is already one of the cheapest quotes from our Coalition branch. I don't know if you are aware, but the bright credit is a very weak currency compared to the coalition credit. The exchange rates are unfavorable because it just costs more to do business in the Coalition."

Miss Robyn had a point. Ves knew that SASS wasn't out to screw him. The Coalition had access to abundant exotic resources. They used their massive population base to exploit these riches and build up their military and economy.

Merely the disparity in mech armies sent home how the Coalition trumped almost every other state. While the Bright Republic mainly used the cheapest currentgen mechs as their frontline models, the Coalition featured the very best currentgen mechs as their basic units.

It was rumoured that many elite commanders had already transitioned to nextgen models. Even the best mercenaries had access to mechs that could easily trounce the best of the Republic's Mech Corps.

"Let me consider my options for a moment. I'll contact you later in order to tell you what I've decided."

"Very well, but I should warn you that you won't get a better price anywhere else. Even if someone were to offer you a bargain, you will find that whoever gets sent will not be able to keep up in Coalition territory."

As the two closed the call, Ves thought back about her words. She sounded very certain that Ves would not be able to contract a capable guard.

He considered calling Melinda or someone else in the Larkinson family, but halted in his steps. Most of the capable Larkinson pilots served in the Mech Corps. It wasn't possible to ask them to leave their stations and accompany him on his trip.

A casual search on the galactic net revealed prices that Ves found hard to stomach. Robyn's words echoed in his head as he found that many security escorts came with a correspondingly high price tag. Expressed in coalition credits, it didn't sound too bad, but when converted to bright credits it was enough to drain all of his savings.

One of the biggest reasons why the price was so high was because short-term contracts came with a lot of upfront costs. It was more economical to contract a bodyguard over a longer period of time, though Ves would never do such a thing. He simply didn't have the money.

"It all comes down to money. Without enough credits, I can't gain any meaningful power."

He hadn't even travelled to the Friday Coalition and already he had a first-hand taste of its superiority. If Ves translated the relative strengths of its economic might to military strength, then the result painted a bleak picture.

Ves faced perhaps the most significant choice concerning this trip. Personally, he thought the risk of encountering a pirate raid or some other unpleasant business was not that big. Spending an excessive amount of credits allocated for future purchases might turn out to be a wasted effort.

"It's not like I'm going off the beaten path. Leemar is one of the core planets of the Coalition and the space routes are well-patrolled."

What Ves simply couldn't stomach was spending ten million credits for a bodyguard that only accompanied him for a whopping two months. Perhaps someone born with a silver spoon like Vincent might accept the price without batting an eyelid, but Ves was brought up in a frugal environment. Despite his father's generous salary, Ryncol never spent any of it. In fact, Ves still had no clue where his father stashed his savings.

In the end, while he didn't doubt the integrity of SASS, he simply wasn't willing to throw away his hard-earned money.

He considered his alternatives. Pretty much all of the reputable security companies offered the same baseline prices. Some of the shadier firms offered cheaper rates, but Ves read enough horror stories on the net to realize that they posed the greatest threat to him if he enlisted their services.

Several scams existed where a person and his guards that happened to encounter a gang of pirates that overpowered them. While the two sides acted like they were enemies, they were actually in cahoots with each other. Though this sort of thing didn't happen often, it was enough of a possibility for Ves to rule out this option.

He wanted a guard that was cheap, loyal and strong enough to deter the most casual riffraff from starting any trouble. "With my budget and circumstances, I'll be lucky if I get two out of three. Now where can I find such a chump?"

His list of contacts was woefully small. Out of the names in his list, one group had potential, if barely. Walter's Whalers might be a small-time gang that ruled over a single rural planet, but they were not antagonistic to his mech business. They shared a common interest in helping Cloudy Curtain develop its economy.

Despite his better instincts telling him that it was a terrible idea, Ves decisively chose to contact Dietrich, the so-called Little Boss.

"Hey hey! Look who's back! What's up, my man Ves?" Dietrich greeted him over the comm even as he was doing… something that required him to discard all of his clothes.

The smile on Ves' face grew cramped. "I'd like to inquire you about some business, but if you're indisposed, I can call you back later."

"Oh no, I'm not too busy. I'm the master of multitasking, baby!" The Little Boss boasted, and several enthusiastic voices cheered in the background. "Just spit it out. My ears are always open to you."

Ves already regretted contacting Dietrich. Perhaps he should reconsider Sanyal-Ablin's offer? But when the price tag came into view, his eyes hardened. He didn't want to waste his precious savings.

Humanity has conquered half the galaxy and the Age of Mechs reigns supreme!

Ves Larkinson lacked the genetic aptitude to become a famed mech pilot. Fighting against his fate, he studied mech design in order to express his love for mechs as a builder instead of a soldier.

When Ves graduated from college, he returned to a new but empty boutique. Left with a small, newly founded mech workshop that his father painstakingly built with a mountain of debt, Ves somehow needs to make ends meet with the bank breathing down his neck.

In the midst of his despair, he found salvation from another legacy his father had left.

"Welcome to the Mech Designer System. Please design your new mech."

--Join The Mech Touch's unofficial Discord server: https://discord.gg/APB5KCU

April 20th 2022. 7:00

"One's failure is another way to succeed."

It was a short message from Ansel's mother, followed by other motivation quotes from famous figures, including from the fictional world.

"Don't believe in quotes written white in a black background with a famous figure that you found on the internet," Ansel replied with another picture.

"I'm trying to motivate you, so you could be more energetic through life."

"Nice try, but I'm getting old and I should have been working for now. Even little sister has graduated last year."

"We're not trying to compare you with her."

"Yeah not you, but some people, and don't forget about society. This moment they may laugh at me, a 24-year-old student almost-NEET. What do you expect from me? I'm tired of moving to another university just because I can't fit into it. And I never forget the day that dad smashed my hard-disk worth of the hobbies that I saved."

Ansel's hand shook, whether to send the risky message or not. He bit his dry lip until it was slightly bleeding. To his conscious, he erased it. Sending those things would result in no more money pocket for a month.

"Thank you," sent.

Ansel threw his phone to the wall.

"Shut up!" his neighbour shouted.

Ansel smirked, "man, you don't understand my pain."

9:55

"The professor gave me one more chance to change my thesis topic; yeah it must be my lucky day," Ansel texted Brian on the way to campus.

"WKWKWKW that damn Hitler. I really want to tear his moustache," Brian replied

"If that Hitler decided to give up, I'll treat you."

"DO IT! Write something that made him seeking isekai!"

Ansel puffed his breath, he held his boisterous laughter. Set his face into straight again. Ansel paced himself up, he was almost late. He calculated that he needs four minutes to reach his department. He shoved people who blocked his way, doesn't matter, they were all his juniors. Some just shouted, but Ansel was too ignorant to care about them.

He went up to the stairs, floor one, two more. Skipped one and two stairs, sometimes jumped up, his heart pumping faster. He was impatient, he wished that time moved slower. Floor two.

9:59

Ansel sped up, it was his maximum speed. His left foot almost slipped from the stairs, he backed up, his right foot reached higher. Sweats running from his forehead to his neck, he rushed away like the wind on full speed.

Floor three.

Finally.

10:00

He arrived on the third floor, where all of his bad dreams resided. The lecturer's hallway, to his right, was a balcony, left was the rooms where

He didn't see a man with a strange costume and weapon blocked the aisle to the lecturer's office. The man was tall, on his right hand a scythe, and left a big watch.

"What the hell a cosplayer does in this place?" Ansel ducked from the weapon, "coming through."

The man swung his scythe to Ansel's feet, Ansel swerved up, and his papers flew across the aisle.

"What the f—"Ansel spat.

Strangely, he and his papers were floating. Ansel couldn't move an inch; the man dragged his scythe along, the man's big watch stood on the place. The scythe and the watch were tied with a golden chain. The man wore a big blue robe, similar to a pastor on the church, as Ansel recalled in mind.

Is it the end? Angel of death? My life was a joke after all.

The man aimed his scythe to Ansel's neck, it was freezing old. Like a kiss of death. Ansel held his breath, his chest felt excruciating pain.

I should've called my family, tell them sorry to disappoint them all these years.

"Tell me, when was the last time you see her?" the man asked, his voice was chill.

"Who, her?"

I thought he would ask "Who's your God?"

The man put his scythe closer to Ansel's neck, he could read Ansel's mind. "Don't you ever joke to god? I'm looking for a woman; she has white hair, very long hair. She has a chilly voice, something that pierces your ears. Tell me, and I'll spare your time."

The woman of his dreams, literary, not figuratively, he recalled the memory again. He tried to speak up with his trembling lips.

"I… I saw her…"

"Very well," the man clicked his finger, Ansel's butt fell first to the floor, and it was a hard landing. Ansel rubbed it, hoping that his bones didn't break. The papers flew to his lap elegantly, it was unfair. "But I won't let you escape until you found it. Take your time," Ansel's feet were tied with a golden shackle.

He peered at the big watch that the man hide behind his robe, the clock was not moving at all. The man flipped the watch; he stared at Ansel with a stern look, pissed off. Quickly, Ansel focused on his papers.

"I found it." Ansel raised the log paper from his thesis project. Behind it was a short diary that he wrote after the bizarre dream.

"Read it to me."

"April 1st 2022. A woman with white long hair, pointed at me at the street near the post office when I walked home. She was tall, wore high heels, and she can run fast. I escaped through the small road."

"19 days ago…She never came back?"

Ansel shook his head. He just lied. Actually, he preferred to hide the truth that he couldn't tell. He also wanted that man to read his mind about his dream.

"Good. Actually, she was an evil being that escaped from my dimension to your dimension. Beware of her; she might use you as a tool to make an apocalypse. Since I am a merciful god from another dimension, I will grant you an escape, to never meet her ever. You may choose: future or past?" he spoke fast like a rapper that about to smash his album on Billboard.

Ansel partly comprehend what he said, then pointed at the man, his hand still shook, "I have a question, who are you?"

"From all nicknames…most people called me Chronos, the ruler of time."

Greek mythology, Ansel was familiar with that name. He wasn't a fan of mythology, but he heard it sometimes on movies. He didn't know that the Greek deities actually existed in another dimension. Ansel overwhelmed with the truth.

"Oh." Nodding his head, Ansel pointed at his feet, "please release me first, your eminence."

"Shake your feet," Ansel did as he said, the shackles turned into dust. "Now, you may choose to go to the future or past? I have time to spend."

"Past, please. To be precise—"

"I could read your wishes and intentions easily like a book," Chronos added, "I'll take you to the time where your fate changed completely."

Ansel awed, "nice, where exactly it could be?"

Chronos didn't answer, he turned his back, and his two small pigtails flowed. He chanted some words and slashed the air with his scythe. Big portal with golden colours swirling in front of them, the swirl has some events that happened in Ansel's life.

"When this portal changed into blue, you must enter."

"Where it would take me?"

"Just trust me; it will be a pleasant time of your life."

The swirl gradually changed its hue, it was green, and then it was dark blue.

Chronos pushed Ansel, "Go! And Godspeed!"

Ansel fell down through the portal. The end of the portal was a speck of white dot, far from his sight. When he got deeper, gravity gradually got stronger. A rush of air, heartbeat fastened, Ansel felt a surge of adrenaline goes to his head. The end of the portal got bigger and bigger. And Ansel crushed hard the white layer of the portal. It was dark.

..

Loud hard bass blasted on a room; Ansel's alarm. He jerked his body out from the bed, reached for his phone. What he saw on the phone made him puzzled.

Monday, 20 April 2020 7:33

But he was sceptical. Brian could sneak into his room and changed the time just to prank him.

Ansel searched for the latest news on the internet.

April 19th 2020, 9.35 P.M, The president's revision made netizen goes mad, here's why.

Click baits popped up on the screen, Ansel swiped them off. Some click baits have no credibility, some of the dates were made up. Ansel searched for local news.

April 20th 2020, 5.30 P.M, A fire struck garment factory, no one was injured.

Ansel swiped up the news, he found the newest.

April 20th 2020, 7:35 P.M, Fire struck house nearby.

"How in the world— Brian probably doing his thesis right now," Ansel rose up. He ran to Brian's room and knocked loudly. "Ey bro? How's the thesis?"

"GOD GAVE MERCY! I HAVEN'T SLEEP FOR THREE EFFING DAYS! SHUT UP!"

"Sorry—"

"DO YOUR OWN THESIS TOO! LAZY ASS!"

"Thesis?" Ansel raised his eyebrows, "but I haven't pass methodology class yet."

Brian opened his door with a slam, "dude, please don't get me with that nonsense joke. Oh, if you ask me 'am I dreaming bro', here," he punched Ansel's arms, "you're awake!"

"Ahaha thanks."

"You better be fast, Mr Ivan will back to Germany next month, if you're late, that bushy professor will check yours instead," Brian locked his door.

Ansel clicked his finger, he opened his laptop. Only to found his first draft of thesis marked 'accepted' at the end of the document. Luckily, the professor was not 'Hitler' this time; his professor was a foreigner, Ivan Sigmund Abene.

He never met Ivan Sigmund before, probably another possibility of his life.

"…fate changed, completely," the words slipped from Ansel's mouth. "How could this happen? Other things must have changed."

Ansel opened the university website portal; he searched for his scores from the past semester. It was unexpected, almost every class that he took, marked perfect. Some of them were professor Hitler's classes. Shook his head, and then pinched his arms.

"It's not a dream."

Still, Ansel didn't have any idea how the event turned up. And why he has to be placed at this moment.

Ansel faded his train of thought; he opened the email, checking the schedule of his thesis. The schedule was so tight, in three days a revision has been done, Ansel widened his eyes, Brian was right. After all, it was a pleasant thing for him.

This time, his dream was not deferred.

we planned to go on a trip together. not far. for one week. To L.A . where dreams come true.
i was very excited about the trip.
My family was okay with it. they already knew what we were doing. they liked josh, so it was okay.
my sister didnt like him. but he managed it with allowances. i felt pity towards him😂
. its today. the trip. I packed all my things and put on a yellow dress which he bought me. As i ran down the stairs, i heard the bike horn of Josh. i stared at him as he removed the helmet. woah. he wore a yellow shirt as well. but it was nearly invisible due to the leather jacket on top of it. he looked hot as usual.
i made my farewells and hopped on behind him and began our trip...
"hi, beautiful" he said...
i just smiled.
we wanted some alone time to fix him. i needed to control his thirst for blood. only then, can I be safe with him .
even though i love him, i am scared of his beastly side which remains hidden to me. i need to see it.
.
.
.
we reached the place. and he had already booked a suite for us. his father was rich enough to provide luxurious life for five generations😂.
i unpacked my things and i noticed that i forgot my ipad....
i used to enter everyrhing in that ... that was my e-diary... i left it logged in at the home.
i felt disappointed. thats when josh saw my sad face and rushed to me...
"why are you in such a bad mood, when you're with someone this handsome?"
i laughed and hit him....
though it was absolute nagging, that let my heart be at peace.
he suddenly went down, sweeped me up ,in his hands.. he took me to the bed and laid me... he fell on top of me...
"one week is too short , right?" he asked with a smirk...
i nodded and dragged him by his collar to kiss him..he seemed like he enjoyed not going back....
.
.
.
.
.
. 
GUYS FOLLOW ME AT INSTA FOR MORE LOVE STORES & LOVE QUOTES....
@the_nasty_stories

It's about a girl falling in love with a supernatural being...

Teng Man Rui visited the Chen dream house upon the invitation of the madame. She obliged, thinking that it would probably be for the last time.
"It seems that you've made up your mind." Xue Jinxu observed how steadfast her friend's resolution appeared. 
"Mhmm… Yes." Teng Man Rui answered, smiling sincerely.
After their long, painful misunderstanding, the two best friends Xue Jinxu and Teng Man Rui slowly mended their friendship. It required hard work, but the two were willing to undergo the necessary process.
No matter how awkward it was, they began alternately contributing to the emotional bank that their friendship needed for it to grow and flourish to its old glory.
Teng Man Rui started by sending baskets of freshly picked fruits to Xue Jinxu's house. At first, Xue Jinxu thought that Chen Linyun bought it, but the man denied it.
"No, I hadn't been to the market lately." The husband denied and refused to take on the credit that wasn't his.
Then, one time while he visited the pregnant twin, Xue Minhe mentioned in passing some suggestions for classes which soon-to-be parents could optimize. Some included labor rehearsals, and everything to know about pregnancy. Xue Minhe even came with a complete list.
The list made Xue Jinxu instantly suspicious. How would her twin brother know so much about it? 
"Did you research it all by yourself?" Xue Jinxu narrowed her eyes at her brother, a hint of a mischievous smirk was on her lips.
The twin brother, not wanting to lie to his only sister, reluctantly retorted, "Some months ago, my ex-wife and I prepared this list. I thought it would be more of a waste to keep it to myself and cling to it, or just throw it, when it can be beneficial to you."
"Ahhh… Great explanation, Ge-ge. I see." Eyebrows raised, she nodded, unconvinced. She laughed heartily after her statement.
Xue Jinxu did not lack on her end as well.
To prove that she's open for reconciliation, Xue Jinxu often sent text messages of good, inspiring quotes to Teng Man Rui. The lady thought that it was such a perfect idea to reconnect because sending those quotes would not require a response at all.
She continued to do it without expecting a response in return, but Teng Man Rui would almost always respond with a smiley or a simple thanks.
Those modest actions kept the ball rolling.
Until one day, Xue Jinxu stopped all the pretense and circuitous act. She straightforwardly invited her best friend to her house. With her personality, she would rather proactively confront her friend no matter what the consequences are. However, she had hoped for their encounter to turn out well.
Teng Man Rui obliged, "Okay, there's something I want to tell you as well. It would be better to meet up in person."
And so, they met. It was during the second week of September.
"Autumn is almost here." Xue Jinxu started tentatively.
The maids served some fruit juice and bread. The two friends started to warm up with each other. They exchanged some more small talks and pleasantries.
After all the trivialities, Teng Man Rui finally broke her news to her. "En. As the seasons change, I plan to start anew too."
"That's great, Xiao Rui." Xue Jinxu timidly agreed without pressing too much. However, her curiosity was beyond the roof.
"I've been undergoing therapy lately. You know… To… To cope up with the harrowing events that happened to me recently." She paused, took a breather, and smiled. The topic was all too sensitive for her. It took her to muster her courage to talk about it to anyone openly.
Then, she continued, "My therapist advised me to start afresh and try something new – something that is not part of my daily routine before."
"That's what exactly I would be doing. Actually, I'm excited about it! Hehehe." Her eyes formed small arches as her façade was engulfed with enthusiasm.
Teng Man Rui relayed some more of her optimistic plans to Xue Jinxu, the latter attentively listening and only butting in with 'Ahhh' and 'I see' and 'sounds good'.
During their conversation, Xue Jinxu had been feeling some sort of pain in her belly, but she shrugged it off thinking that it's tolerable and even short-lived. She kept silent about it with a plastered smile on her attentive-looking face so that it would not disrupt the jovial atmosphere they were enjoying.
As Teng Man Rui ended relaying her plans, the two best of friends talked about their childhood and the happy memories they spent during their teens.
They both sighed contentedly, both with the awareness that after a few years they would find themselves in a situation wherein they wouldn't be able to fathom how fate would play tricks on them. Their young selves would never have imagined – no matter how creative they were – all the possibilities of how real life has just unfolded for both of them.
Regardless of how painful their experiences were, here they were, still friends, enduring, emerging triumphant no matter what storm they had to go through. Their friendship is strong and resilient, too. 
True love proves to be everywhere, not just between family members but with friends, too. 
Perhaps, there would come a time in the future when they would be able to laugh off all their silliness and foolishness and all the painful memories of the present time, looking back.
---
Teng Man Rui eventually left. They bid their farewells, and a promise of a reunion in the future no one knows exactly when.
The lady exchanges their well-wishes for the lives they chose, and prayers for good health and prosperity.
As soon as Teng Man Rui left, the pain in Xue Jinxu's abdomen grew stronger. Her knees wobbled, and she proactively leaned on the doorway to support herself. She stayed there for a good while since she's not quite sure if she could reach the couch safely on her own.
Her forehead and back started to sweat profusely now. Grabbing the doorway's post tightly, she attempted to shout for help.
The maids heard her and went swiftly to her rescue. They supported her by the elbows and back and towed her slowly towards the couch.
She panted heavily as she requested for her mobile phone. The maids around her searched for it vigorously and passed it on to her as soon as they found it.
She was able to send two messages successfully before she passed out.


-----
 “Alright.”
“I better go now. I’ll be fine on my own now.” She grinned again while fixing her hair, tucking it neatly under the cap and turning up the hood to cover half of her face. Her guise was complete. She knew that she would pass as a boy with her current look. So she uncaringly opened the door. With one last smile she thanked him again and left.
Just like that.
Chen Linyun’s peace and quiet has been perturbed.
‘Take responsibility, somehow.’ He said in his mind, to the girl who just left, eyes glimmering.
He gazed darkly at her fading silhouette but did not do anything anyway.
-----

Chen Linyun had spend the night together in a dorm room with a drunken girl he had mistaken for a boy when he was still eighteen years old during his sophomore year in the university. Little did he know this short encounter will leave a mark in him, unable to let go of this woman who disappeared after that night. He was head-over-heels and had vowed to search for her in every part of the earth.

Five years later, they met again, but the woman he once knew wasn't the same as she was before. Just after a few years, she became a domineering leader of her own empire.

With his own charm, his adventure to chase the girl and convince her of his love starts in this story. 

It's a reverse role that the MC is a bit soft and domesticated but smart, while the FC is the strong-willed one - playful and teasing.


Excerpt 2:
-----
“Deal.”
Chen Linyun stood up. “One more thing.” He grabbed her hand that was resting on the table. He gently guided it for her to stand up. She followed her lead and stood up, confused.
The next thing she knew, she was enveloped in his warm embrace. “I missed you.”
She blushed. She tried to push him away. 
His left hand was cradling the back of her head while his right hand secured her lower back. She was held tightly in his embrace.
“Just a little longer.”
She was helpless. “I’ll sue you for harassment.”
“You wouldn’t do that.” He finally released her and stared at her blushing face.
 “This time I won’t leave your side.”
------

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