When I opened my eyes I had become a princess!... more>>

But out of all characters in this romance novel, why is it the princess who has the fate of dying to her own blood-related dad, the emperor!

If I want to live, I must not be seen by that emperor dad.

“When did this kind of scumbag start living in my castle?”

The man who doesn’t have single drop of blood nor tear to drop, that cold emperor Claude! Will Athanasia who had been caught by the emperor be able to survive?

“I… What do I do…..?” <<less

A seventeen-year-old depressed teen, whose mother died at an early age and whose father often disappears, meets a small stuttering boy frequently abused by his family and bullied by schoolmates. Day by day, they become each other’s sole friend, with gradual sparks of admiration. But the tumultuous course of life does not permit them a peaceful existence. The past surfaces, and the feelings of the two boys quietly change…... more>>

A mysterious past. A roving existence. Two insecure teenagers.

After both their fathers go missing, a detailed investigation begins to peel back the layers of the truth– what will the future hold for Yan Hang, who disappears without a word, and the kind-hearted Chu Yi? When they meet again years later, what path will they take? <<less

While Shen Huai was still acting in the entertainment industry…... more>>

Anti-fans all over the internet: Flower-vase actors should just get out from the entertainment industry!

Later, he switched tracks to play e-sports instead, and his team’s fan club collectively protested

―― “E-sports do not need flower vases!”

Before the game, Shen Huai said calmly, “This match is mine.”

The audience: Bah! If you win, we’ll eat our keyboards!

After the game, Shen Huai won the award for MVP.

The audience: Keyboards are really tasty! Boss, when will you reactivate your Weibo?

The fans from the fan club: E-sports don’t need flower vases, but husbands are welcome! Hubby, please be sure to come at me from the front!

~~~~~~~~~~
This is the story of a small movie star who had his career in e-sports delayed by acting, who finally became a big shot in his own right. <<less

Layers upon layers of cases gradually assemble into their true form…... more>>

Some new characters join the stage in addition to the original cast from “Yu Brothers”, revolving around a new story that extends [to cover] other popular characters. <<less

A miracle doctor was exiled to an alternate savage world and forced to change his scummy ways!... more>>

Yan Mo's soul was transferred to another world after he had thoroughly offended God. He quickly understood how cruel the world he was in was.

The reason he was hit unconscious by a primitive man and brought back to his home was to be that man’s winter food reserves. The tribe he was in was a super spartan primitive tribe, and the people here only respected two things: Combat power and fighting ability! The former was the fighting power in battles, the latter was…

……

Examine illness? Chinese medicine? Drink those bitter sandy things? The hell is that? Are you trying to mu*der our tribe’s warrior? Die!

Plant wheat? Raise pigs and chickens? We are warriors, not s*aves! Die!

Teaching the women to make clothes and cook? Make them soap and perfume? F*ck, he’s actually seducing our women! Die!

You’re a messenger of God? Here to lead us to a better life? Very well. We’ll give you one day, conquer all of our enemies, make them into sl*ves and bring them back. If you can’t, you’re dead!

Yan Mo: “……” <<less

As the gates of doom descend, hundreds of diverse disasters are available for you to choose from. ... more>>

Shipwreck, zombies, heat wave, poisonous fog, ice age…

At first, Gou Fugui refused, but, wolves in front and tigers behind, he was left with no choice but to close his eyes and jump into the vortex.

He thought it would be hard to survive in the apocalypse, but his [Quirky and Adorable Creatures Handbook] suddenly shone with the light of a golden finger!

Thus, Gou Fugui opened up the path to gather all kinds of riches and honors—

How can I survive if the sea floods the whole world?

Fear not! Turn into an otter and you’ll know how! You can float on the sea til the end of time, and you can store fish in your small pocket!

What if I don’t know how to fight against a strong enemy?

Don’t panic! Meet the flat-headed honey badger! When it comes to fighting, this brother has never been afraid of anyone!

What should I do if I’m surrounded by zombies and there’s no way out?!

Hold on! Fainting goat Fugui teaches you how to play dead and become a winner in life!

There’s also: the king of taunts, the Tibetan fox; the king of screams, the marmot; the house demolisher, ice king husky!

Although these oddballs are a little bit weird, and maybe a little bit of a waste too, there’s always going to be an odd waste that will get you through the apocalypse!

Later, every time a Doomsday Gate closed, there would be more than a few strange conversations between the gate’s survivors:

“Who closed the Doomsday Gate this time?”

“I don’t know. I only saw a Tibetan fox still alive before I fled.”

“A Tibetan fox? Why did I see a honey badger fighting against the zombie king?!”

“Wasn’t it the husky pulling the sled that closed the gate?”

After the calamity, the State compiled a confidential dossier on the saviors:

No. 000: Fantastic creatures that seem to have become Spirits.

Gou Fugui: Thank you, they are all me! ^_^

Gou Fugui (shou) x Xie Tianlang (gong) <<less

Shao Si’s been in bad health since childhood, only having survived till now because of accidentally getting bound to a ghost-like life extension system – And since stepping foot into the entertainment world, life has gotten even more eventful…... more>>

System: We are the ultimate “dark secret” juggernaut, our goal is to purify and restore peace in the entertainment world, exposing all corruption and shady business to the public!

Shao Si: listen to all this nonsense you’re blabbering.

He’s somehow managing to stay alive…But the night Shao Si wins a Xiaojinren (golden trophy) and becomes the industry’s youngest film emperor, he unexpectedly also manages to ‘get married’ overnight.

Because the stylists of both parties coincidentally styled the two with matching rings, the fans of both parties collectively exploded on Weibo.

Woke up and heard that I was married…

Thank you to the netizens for inexplicably getting me married.

MC and ML, both exceptional actor (film emperors!), start off on the wrong foot, but the two husbands end up working together to crack different mysteries and cases. <<less

I was reborn as the villainous daughter, Yumiela Dolknes, in the world of an otome RPG game. Yumiela only had a small role in the original story, but after defeating the Demon King, she will appear as the Hidden Boss with a bonus specs to solo fight the Hero party.... more>>

Having a gamer-spirit, I’ve been raising my level since I was a child. By the time I enter the academy where the game stage is, I was level 99.

I wanted the heroine and the capture targets to defeat the Demon King, but they just flirted around and didn’t raise their level. Moreover, they treat me as if I’m the Demon King just because I have dark hair and use dark magic.

It’s a story where I aim for peaceful days. <<less

Pretty Widow x Pure-Hearted Man... more>>

In the early eighties, a new pair of orphaned and widowed came to a certain downtown in a small seaside town.

The widow was beautiful, but it was not easy to raise a child. She was eager to find support, so her neighbor Sister Liu enthusiastically introduced her to a partner. After finally matching with a twice married man, she unexpectedly fell into the water. When she woke up, Qiao Lu from modern times replaced her body.

The older leftover girl, Qiao Lu, time travels to a young widow with the same name. Not only does she have a small milk doll next to her, but she has not escaped the fate of having a blind date.

A blind date is okay, but she is very demanding. He must have a good temper, be diligent, and have a flexible mind. He must not be chauvinistic, must not curse, must not dislike her second marriage status, and must love her children. To sum up, this person does not exist! 　　

Sister Liu said, I have never seen such a picky second-married girl! 　　“These days, the iron rice bowl is king! Old Li from the steel factory is so good, he is an 8th grade worker!”　　

Qiao Lu: “No, he is already forty, an old cow eats young grass.”

　　“What about Xiao Song from the chemical plant? He is only twenty-nine, tall and strong, and easy to rely on!” 　　

Qiao Lu: “No, he has four children, my Xiaobao family is afraid.” 　　

“… Then Xiao Luo from the radio factory! Thirty years old, one child, honest and hard-working!” 　　

Qiao Lu: “No, he… looks too ugly.” 　　

“…” 　　

Sister Liu finally couldn’t stand it anymore, threw a photo on the table, and said angrily: “Qiao Lu, this is the last one I’d like to introduce to you! He has never been married, he doesn’t have children, his financial situation is tight, and he has nothing but a handsome face and a dilapidated house! You’re on your own!”　　

She picked up the photo and looked. Oh, he’s so handsome, like a picture star. Qiao Lu was eager to try.

“What does he do?” 　　

“A street vendor!” 　　

What? Isn’t this the first generation of entrepreneurs? ! 　　

Roll up your sleeves and get to work!

“Okay! I want to go on a blind date with him!” 　　

However, after getting along with him, I realized that the dilapidated house = small courtyard in the city center = a major demolition house in the future!

Just the face? But he clearly has an excellent business acumen! You won’t lose money on this bet!

…

Xu Haizhou left his hometown and came to the south to start a business. With no money and no background, and a life without touching the ground, he never had the luxury of having a wife and children.

　Unexpectedly, one day his neighbor Sister Liu introduced him to a woman. Although she was a widow, he fell in love at first sight. As long as her character was passable, he didn’t mind whether she was married for the first time or for the second time.

And you have a baby? Just in time, pick up a ready-made son. So the two hit it off immediately, and against all odds, they got married! 　　

After marriage, with the concerted efforts of the couple, small street stalls gradually opened into large shopping malls, becoming the first batch of the self-reliant rich generation in the 1980s! <<less

Chen Hui had traveled through the passage of time, but – when she woke up, there wasn’t even a single female servant surrounding her who exclaimed her return to consciousness.... more>>

Instead, the only person standing in front of her was an exasperating eunuch who pinned her with a malicious glare whilst remarking sarcastically, “Since Lady Chen despises and shuns lowly eunuchs such as myself, I won’t force myself upon you.

But, if you’re hoping for me to release and return you back to your family, then my only advice is for you to give up all such hopes! You will never be able to leave my household for the rest of your life, so you have little choice but to stay here till you die!”

Chen Hui: …

It turns out, that Chen Hui had time travelled, and awoken in the body of a lady who had attempted to commit su*cide (by ramming her head against the pillar) to display her staunch refusal to marry an exasperating eunuch.

However, in order to fill her belly full and keep her body warm, Chen Hui had no choice but to continuously think of different ways and means to approach the exasperating eunuch, to get to know more about the exasperating eunuch, to please and bootlick the exasperating eunuch, and to seduce… No, wait, forget about seducing that exasperating eunuch.

The eunuch Li Youde had spent his entire life being a callous, deceitful, and sly person. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that all he could think about during his most desperate hour was – how the mischievous, pampered, trouble-making enchantress at home would be able to continue living a worry-free and comfortable life without him by her side. <<less

Su Xiaoman was a fake daughter of a wealthy family. She is not loved by her biological parents. She was also rejected by her adoptive parents.... more>>

When she woke up again, she found herself in a book and became the village flower Su Xiaoman in the 1970s.

Su Xiaoman is the wife of a villain male supporting role.

The original Su Xiaoman, who disliked poverty and loves the rich, is devoted to climbing high branches, and is obsessed with Jiang Yantang, the educated youth male protagonist who just went to the countryside.

Su Xiaoman was unwilling to marry Xie Mingtu because of his poverty, and is still obsessed with the male protagonist Jiang Yantang. Who knows that not long after, the second brother of the male protagonist Jiang Yantang went to the countryside to visit relatives, and found that the poor boy Xie Mingtu was the real child of the Jiang family, and the male protagonist Jiang Yan Tang was held wrong.

Xie Mingtu returned to Jiang’s house in the courtyard, but he was ridiculed because he was gloomy and vulgar, and he couldn’t compare to the fake boy Jiang Yantang, and his wife was also even more obsessed with Jiang Yantang…

In this way, Xie Mingtu had completely blackened, mad and ruthless, and became the biggest villain in the book, and ended up tragically.

When Su Xiaoman opened her eyes, Xie Mingtu, the biggest villain in the book, was about to feed her rice soup. His clothes were tattered and his bones were visible. When he saw her wake up, his tone was humble and cautious:

“Manman?”

When Xie Mingtu thought that the woman would not give him any response, a pair of slender and tender hands grabbed his thin wrist. <<less

Qi Xi has been frail and sick since he was a child, and he is not very smart on top of that. Apart from a good-looking face, it is difficult to find any advantages. Finally, on his 20th birthday, his stepmother kicked him out of the house.... more>>

Poor little Qi Xi was on the roadside with his bedroll and an old cat. A luxury car suddenly stopped in front of him, and a handsome and fierce man got out.

He held the cat and pulled the man: Can you take me home? I’m lost.

–

Fu Yanchuan has a first love. He left him for his dream and remained single until he met a young man on the roadside who looked very much like his first love back then.

The young man seemed to be in a bad state of mind. He was temporarily obsessed with his thoughts.

Fu Yanchuan: Be my substitute and I will take you home.

Qi Xi: Then will you take care of me when I’m sick, comfort me when I’m sad, and give my cat the same care that you’ll give me until I die?

Fu Yanchuan: …Yes.

Qi Xi: Okay, when will the contract be signed?

Fu Yanchuan:…….

On the first night as a stand-in, Qi Xi took the initiative to get into Fu Yanchuan’s bed: This is what a stand-in should do. Isn’t this what should I do?

However, Fu Yanchuan only kissed him, and he blushed and gasped.

Qi Xi: This is what happens when I get nervous. Send me to the hospital quickly, otherwise your substitute will be gone.

After working as a stand-in for a month, Qi Xi failed his exam: Why is it so difficult? Can you teach me? Otherwise your stand-in will be bald.

After being a stand-in for a year, Qi Xi lay in Fu Yanchuan’s arms: Being your stand-in is so tiring. My mouth hurts, my throat hurts, and my waist hurts. If you don’t rub your stand-in, he will die of exhaustion.

In the second year of being a substitute, the first love came back, and his friend asked Fu Yanchuan: When will you dump Qi Xi and pursue your first love back?

Fu Yanchuan jumped up while exclaiming: Do you know how much I paid to raise him? He had to be fed when eating and coaxed when sleeping. He was injured every three days and sick every five days. I even had to watch him when we are sleeping, fearing that he would run out of energy! I’m afraid he will break when I hold him in my hand! Dump him? I’m afraid no one would want this life! …What did you just say about white moonlight? Huh? What do you mean my white moonlight? <<less

I witnessed a mu*der scene of a villain.... more>>

To make matters worse, he caught me.

I think I hear the sound of death beckoning.

He approaches me, his hand in his coat.

I wonder what he’s reaching for.

A knife? A gun? I guess it doesn’t matter. There’s only one thing I can think of now.

“I’m going to die.”

I wasn’t expecting what he pulled out of his coat.

“Will you marry me?”

“What?” <<less

Xu Youyou’s a mama’s girl and the words she often said were, "My Mom said……"... more>>

Therefore, many people laughed at her for not being weaned. But Xu Youyou didn’t care and continued on her way, determined to be the best mama’s girl there was.

In high school, Xu Youyou was pressed against the wall by the school tyrant as he confessed his feelings.

Xu Youyou frowned and refused, "No, my mom said that the most important thing for a student is to study! Otherwise, you’ll become the scum of society in the future!"

Someone who has a single-digit score and hates studying: "……"

In college, a rich and handsome president wanted to keep Xu Youyou and offered her favorable conditions, but instead got a contemptuous look from her.

"My mom said there’s no such thing as getting something for nothing. If there is, there must be a conspiracy!"

The president who wanted to find a substitute for his white moonlight: "……"

5874 was a system whose mission was to change the miserable fate of the female protagonist, Xu Youyou, and bring her happiness. But, looking at the little bean who’s only three years old and in the terrible environment of the orphanage, the system decided to tell a lie, "Youyou, don’t be afraid, I’m your mom."

After fifteen years of diligent teaching, the system fell into a deep sleep due to insufficient energy.

When it woke up again and found Xu Youyou living in a beautiful villa with countless jewelry and beautiful clothes, the system was heartbroken. "Baby, how come you still—"

Xu Youyou was excited. "Mom! You finally woke up! You’re right! The best money in the world is from a lovestruck man!"

System: "……Did I say that?" <<less

In this world, is there anything worse than becoming a beggar and being penniless?... more>>

Yes, absolutely yes! With one stumble, you fall into an uncultivated barbarian continent ! ! !

Is there anything worse in the world than to fall into an uncultivated barbarian continent?

Yes, TMD (Ta ma de: F*ck!), definitely yes.

It’s forcefully kissing a man, moreover, it’s a super wild (uncivilized) man~~~ <<less

I was heartbroken upon learning that the world inhabited by my favorite characters from a novel was heading towards destruction. Suddenly, I found myself possessed, transported into that very realm.... more>>

While I might be able to bear the sight of my own demise, I simply cannot endure watching my beloved perish. Elric, a mage at once infinitely lighthearted yet profoundly burdened, shall now strive to save this world from its impending apocalypse, aided by the body I've come to possess.

Oh, and indulging in fandom activities? That's just a bonus. <<less

There once existed an honorable founder of this panguan school of cultivation. His reputation was illustrious, but nowadays nobody dared to mention him. Even if they did, all they said was, “He met a miserable end.”... more>>

Only Wen Shi still abided by the rules. Every day, he would pay respects to the founder’s ferocious, colorful portrait, but because of that he ended up summoning a sickly tenant.

The tenant stood in front of the portrait and asked, “Who drew this?”

Wen Shi: “Me.”

Don’t ask. If you do, you’ll just end up feeling touched. <<less

After enduring serveral difficulties with its host, system number 2333 was finally given the opportunity to live a peaceful and happy life.... more>>

The twenty-four filial host was whispering softly in the ear of the mechanical cat ball, who was lying in the cathouse.

“Sansan, isn’t the mall’s 12% discount too low? Maybe it should be 15% off?”

“Sansan, what is your mission target for this month? I’ll make it twice as big. No way, I will triple it.”

System No. 2333: “Wow!”

His host is fantastic! He is extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful host.

The happiness, however, did not last long, and the system 2333 was shocked by the bad news – The main system has collapsed! An Infinite space was collapsing!

Among the shattering space debris, No. 2333 could have walked away, but he hesitated again and again, and finally gritting his teeth and he turned around to retrieve his host.

“Fear not! Shout out for Daddy, I’ll save you, Host!”

Ji Yiwei initially assumed that No. 2333 would simply leave him behind, but when he noticed the mechanical cat ball speeding up and flying back towards him, he changed his mind. He burst out laughing and hid his hand behind his back. Now that his little cat ball has voluntarily returned to him, he would never let Sansan go again.

What System 2333 didn't know was, on the hidden hand of his host was- the head of the main system. <<less

Yuan Buwei was bound by a villain whitewashing system,... more>>

System 999 carefully taught the host:

① Behave yourself and be a good person.

② Salted fish for the win, by kneeling and licking the protagonist you can lie down and win.

③ Don’t make trouble, don’t make trouble, don’t make trouble!

Yuan Buwei (a sword swing overturned the protagonist): No problem. I’m best at convincing people with reason. What trouble? Nonexistent. <<less

Wen Ruan transmigrated into the body of a low-ranking cannon fodder in a cultivation novel. The original owner of this body’s neck was snapped by the antagonist Demon Lord as soon as she appeared on the scene. ... more>>

Wen Ruan said, “No, I have to run!”

The system said, “No, there’s an antagonist Demon Lord here that you need to conquer. Work hard to make him fall in love with you!”

Wen Ruan: “In your dreams.”

Mu Zhe: “In your dreams.”

However, on the 101st day as an undercover agent in the Demon Realm, she carried the heavily injured young Demon Lord on a flying sword, patting his face with a bright and unrestrained smile.

“Be good, from now on, I’ll protect you.”

In the embrace of twilight, her graceful brows arched, mirroring the resplendent horizon that painted the sky. A tapestry of vibrant hues unfurled behind her, casting a gentle cascade of colors. Within the young boy’s chest, his heart resounded like a beating drum.

[A story with lots of inner monologues, a righteous survival-minded female protagonist × a tragically demonic Demon Lord with a frank and honest personality]

It is well-known that the supreme Demon Lord, Mu Zhe, had an unforgettable first love who died at a young age. However, no one knew that he had once cut out his heart and soul, kneeling before the gods and demons of all realms, just to meet her again. The lofty deities above laughed with amus**ent, saying, “I have stripped away your memories, erasing any recollection of her. How then can you reunite once more?”

“No matter how much I may have forgotten, the moment we meet, I will fall in love with her once again.”

In the depths of my blood and the essence of my being, lies this unbreakable curse. My purpose, woven into my very existence, is to be hers. <<less

Triumphantly back from eight years on the battlefield, the Great General of the Realm’s Armies turns out to be a woman! ... more>>

Per the Empress Dowager’s decree: Prince An’s younger brother Xia Yujin, now conferred the title of prince of Nanping, is to marry the general.

Now he faces a mu*derous, iron-willed, and ruthless wife. The useless prince’s only recourse in this cold and terrible world is to desperately cry and call out for help. “How can I uphold the traditional authority of a husband over his wife?” <<less

Lady Francesca, on one fateful day, recalled that the world she lives in is in fact the world of an [otome game where the men of the underworld were the capture targets] and that she was a heroine of that world.
But the problem was………... more>>

"……..I.!! even in my past life in Japan, was the [grandaughter of a yakuza boss]!?!"

Her life was in danger everyday, and forget romance, even making normal friends was impossible in her past life. "If I were to reincarnate, I want to be part of normal family this time! Also I want to make friends!!" She was sure she had wished so, yet……..

"I will never abandon you even if you are a villain."

The moral code she had been raised in during her past life, was driving her actions even now.
In this game's main story, the main villain was her own fiancé, Leonardo. That villain was destined to bring chaos to Francesca's daily life.
That's why she wanted to annul her engagement with him beforehand but instead, Leonardo ended up being more fascinated by her.

"How cute, Francesca. I love you so much, so please, continue to entertain me."
"Absolutely no way! I am not your toy!"

After all this time, she wanted to live a peaceful life no matter what.
Francesca, while being doted on by her fiancé, she continued to aim for a "peaceful and normal life". (*And fail at it)

Note; Cover Image from the manga adaptation.
#AkuMana <<less

Ye Yang, a straight man from Northeast China, transmigrated into a novel about court fights, became a concubine, and was bound to a system, which could put on view the favorability score of the main characters.... more>>

On condition that the emperor’s favorability score was too high, he’d fall in love with Ye Yang. However, if his favorability score was too low, he’d be mercilessly killed. In order to protect his life and chastity, Ye Yang forced himself to create his own persona, repeatedly switching between the personality of an unrefined man from Northeast China and the first beauty of the harem.

Yet, things were getting worse and worse. At first, he let the favorability score of the dog emperor drop. Later, the score began increasing rapidly. Watching how the favorability score was about to skyrocket, Ye Yang panicked.

He wore a gold chain and raised a mink, silencing all of the imperial concubines of the harem. Feng Luan’s favorability score had been increased by +1.

He had a snowball fight with the dog emperor and pushed him into a snowdrift. Both of them caught a cold. Feng Luan’s favorability score had been increased by +10.

The mink he raised thought out a plan for Feng Luan to renovate the imperial study room worth of more than 10.000 taels of silver. The imperial study was so horrible that one could hardly bear to look at it.

Feng Luan’s favorability score had been increased by +100.

What’s going on! Are you still a straight man!

……

The longer Ye Yang lived in degradation, the more he felt that the dog emperor was different from what he initially thought.

At his feet the ground was covered in blood and bones, but behind him was the delightful scenery of the prosperous world, and the coming of all nations.

A few years later, he helped Ye Yang up the stairs and gazed into the distance. He saw a myriad of twinkling lights, bustling, bright and beautiful.

And Feng Luan whispered in his ear.

“My dear Imperial Concubine, look.”

“This is our country.” <<less

Fang Huaining – The ace of University A’s Computer science department, handsome, intelligent, self-disciplined, aloof, an expert in programming theory, and has many admirers.... more>>

Li Ting – The class-cutter of Jiuliu University, a work maniac who swept through the twelve big streets around campus, eager to fight, unsociably eccentric, stingy, silent, mastered many foreign languages, and has many haters.

Classmate asks: Ace, the handsome takeout guy who’s been coming here to deliver eel rice-bowls actually did a German translation for our professor, did you introduce him?

Fang Huaining: No, not familiar.

Gay friend asks: Li-zi, the bigshot from Comp Sci came over and paid for our meals, is he someone you know?

Li Ting: Who? Not familiar.

…

Li Ting: Why do you always take the bus all the way to the suburbs to steal the vegetables I grow? Am I familiar with you?

Fang Huaining: Then why do you always change your IP address to stalk my personal website? Am I also familiar with you? <<less

After a bizarre kidnapping incident, Chi Qing unexpectedly acquired a mind-reading ability. His personality began to stray further and further away from the norm as he consistently failed his personality tests with: You’ve been classified as someone with a highly dangerous personality.... more>>

——Until he met someone he couldn't read.

Only by that person’s side could he obtain a moment of peace.

Chi Qing had clearly been thinking nothing but "stay away from me," yet what came out instead was: "...give me your hand. There are lots of cars on the road, I’m scared you might get run over."

Xie Lin: "...?” <<less