Honey Stewed Squid - Chapter 41 — I Like You?

Some people begin their lives with the odds in their favor but end up failing miserably.

Lin Jingzhe, having suffered many losses and setbacks, returned to his eighteen-year-old self just before failing his college entrance exam.

Business opportunities were everywhere in the early 1990s when the Chinese economy started taking off.

Now, this golden age would be his.

- Description from Novelupdates

(Isekai, Fantasy, Non-transmigration, Unconventional, Ensemble cast, Meticulously crafted setting, Multiple identities, Light novel, Succubus)I have many masks, and each has its own story.I am the unremarkable little artist of the Church of Dawn; the strongest apprentice in the gladiator arena; the killing machine in the eyes of goblins... The holy nun beneath the sunlight is me, and so is the old gentleman on the train... I have hurried through underground tunnels in escape, and I have left behind beautiful legends on the frontier...Beneath the mask, there is an even more beautiful mask; within the lie, there often lies a hidden truth...My name is Ogre. A child raised by ogre since birth. It's a pleasure to meet you.

The Morandi color palette refers to colors with low saturation and a muted, smoky feel.Chen Ningxi, who usually seems untouched by worldly concerns, finds herself unexpectedly moved upon meeting Cheng Qiaobei, who embodies the Morandi hues.At their first meeting, Cheng Qiaobei is in a subordinate position, striving to meet the demands of Chen Ningxi’s client role.Three days later, they meet again when Cheng Qiaobei is inspecting a hotel and Chen Ningxi, a VIP client, calls to make a complaint that goes directly to his office.Two weeks later, a newly built chain hotel urgently requires electric equipment installation approval, and the responsible person is Chen Ningxi.Cheng Qiaobei visits her for negotiations but gets caught in the middle of Chen Ningxi’s blind date, and weighing his options, he lets himself be used as a temporary shield to deflect the matchmaker.With a glance, they fulfill each other's needs—he gets the approval, and she avoids matchmaking.In the charade of their fake relationship, they end up truly connecting. He gets drunk, she listens earnestly; he's busy, she remains focused on her work.He does not intrude on her, and she does not disturb him. Chen Ningxi realizes she might have found someone easy to get along with and never tires of.Regarding love, Chen Ningxi has the ability to both love deeply and restrain herself. In terms of career, Cheng Qiaobei has the capability to conjure miracles and rise again from setbacks.As for them, they are a couple wandering within the hues of the Morandi palette.

Charles Manson was just another broke university dropout grinding night shifts at a city bar—until time froze, and a seductive voice whispered into his mind:> “System initialized: Lust Sync. Welcome, Master. Your desires will shape the world.”Suddenly, women around him begin to act strangely—flushed cheeks, lingering stares, unexplainable obsession. It wasn’t luck. It was the system.Lust Sync doesn’t just make women fall for him—it binds them, body and soul, through supernatural “Sync Levels” that unlock hidden power, twisted love, and lust-fueled abilities. The more intense the relationship, the stronger Charles becomes.From seductive professors to dangerous yanderes, spoiled heiresses to lonely MILFs—every woman he touches begins to change… and some don’t want to let him go.But Lust Sync comes with rules, quests, and consequences. The more women he Syncs with, the closer he gets to uncovering the dark truth behind the system—and why he was chosen.Can Charles handle a world where every woman wants him—and some would kill to keep him?> “Desire is power. Power is dangerous. And now, I have both.”