"By then, even if I want to protect you, there will be nothing I can do."
As she spoke, the director of the welfare home began to cry. In her heart, she was deeply reluctant to part with Shen Mengli, such a sensible child. But she knew that continuing to hide the truth would not only put Shen Mengli in danger but also jeopardize the entire welfare home.
"But... but Mengli, I can't bear it... You're the child I've raised since you were little. How can I bear to push you away with my own hands... But I truly don’t know what else to do..."
"Director Mom..."
Shen Mengli looked at the director, who was covering her face in anguish, and her own eyes grew uncertain.
Just when she thought everything was going to get better, reality had dealt her a harsh blow. If she were to lose the support of the welfare home, where would she go?
At that moment, the image of Ye Feng suddenly flashed through her mind, but she immediately dismissed the thought.
No! I absolutely can’t drag Xiao Feng into this... No matter what, I can’t burden him.
"I understand, Director Mom."
Shen Mengli didn’t show any signs of panic, maintaining her usual calm demeanor. However, her pale fingers betrayed the turmoil in her heart.
"All these years, I’ve been so grateful for your care. In my heart, you’ve always been like a mother to me, never leaving my side. I have no complaints."
"Mengli... sob..."
Hearing Shen Mengli’s words, the director cried even harder. She had once clenched her teeth, determined to do everything in her power to protect Shen Mengli. But she knew that doing so would be unfair to the other children in the welfare home.
Director Mom—first a director, then a mother. She had to fulfill her duties.
"Don’t worry, Director Mom. I believe I’ll find a better life. When I do, I’ll come back often to visit, just like the other children who’ve left the welfare home."
Although Shen Mengli spoke lightly, she knew that with her fragile body, finding a place to belong would be nearly impossible. The thought of leaving the place she had called home for so many years brought tears to her eyes.
Huh? How strange... I promised myself I wouldn’t cry. I’m an adult now, and I should show the strength of an adult in front of Director Mom... But... but why can’t I hold back?
"Waaah!"
This time, Shen Mengli could no longer maintain her composure. As she threw herself into the director’s arms and cried uncontrollably, it became clear that her plans for a new life had completely fallen apart.
Why... why is this happening to me... I... I even made a promise with Xiao Feng to live on... Why does it have to end like this...
"......"
After what felt like an eternity, Shen Mengli lifted her head from the director’s embrace.
"Mengli..."
"Don’t... don’t worry, Director Mom. I’ll take care of myself."
Shen Mengli’s eyes had lost their sparkle. Her dull gaze seemed to reflect her final fate, though the director didn’t notice.
"Mengli... actually, I’ve already told Mr. Ye Feng about this. He expressed that he’s willing to take you in..."
"No!"
Before the director could finish, Shen Mengli’s sharp cry interrupted her.
"Don’t tell Mr. Ye Feng... don’t..."
"Why, Mengli? You know what kind of person Mr. Ye Feng is. He can help you..."
"I don’t want to... I don’t want to trouble Mr. Ye Feng!"
Shen Mengli suddenly raised her head, her tone growing more intense as she spoke of Ye Feng.
"Of course I know how kind Mr. Ye Feng has been to me, but I absolutely refuse to be a burden to him! Do you know how much trouble my frail body would cause him, Director Mom?"
"I’d rather never have met Mr. Ye Feng than drag him down... absolutely not..."
"Mengli..."
"Thank you, Director Mom. I’m sorry for raising my voice. Could you let me be alone for a while?"
After addressing the topic of Ye Feng, Shen Mengli’s resolve seemed to harden. It appeared she wanted to seal away all thoughts of Ye Feng. Her crimson eyes radiated a coldness, starkly different from their usual brilliance. Now, they were like the button eyes of a stuffed bear, lifeless and dull.
"Alright... I understand. Mengli, if there’s anything, you must tell me, okay?"
"Don’t worry, Director Mom. I’ll handle my own affairs. Please don’t worry about me."
"Mengli... sigh..."
The director’s face seemed to age in an instant. As she disappeared down the hallway, she turned back several times.
Surrounded by the tranquility of the garden, Shen Mengli’s body no longer had the strength to hold itself up. She leaned back in her wheelchair, staring blankly at the fountain, motionless like a statue.
......
"Mengli..."
Unbeknownst to Shen Mengli, Ye Feng had been hiding behind a tree in the garden, listening to everything. He couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her plight, while also marveling at how much she cared for him.
They had only known each other for a few days, yet Shen Mengli was willing to suffer alone rather than trouble him. Normally, a drowning person would cling to anything they could grasp as a lifeline, but Shen Mengli would rather sink than drag him down with her.
This only strengthened Ye Feng’s resolve to take her away.
I’m sorry, Mengli, but I can’t let you have your way. Since you don’t want my help... then I’ll have "someone else" help you instead.
Ye Feng seemed to have come up with a plan. Seeing that Shen Mengli wouldn’t be moving anytime soon, he quietly climbed over the wall and headed home.
......
By evening, Shen Mengli was still sitting in the garden, wearing a thin black dress. She gazed at the moon, obscured by dark clouds, lost in thought.
"Big sister~ Why aren’t you back in your room yet? It’s so late."
Suddenly, a childish voice broke the silence. Startled, Shen Mengli turned to see Wenwen rubbing her eyes and walking curiously toward her.
"Wenwen? Why are you still up so late?"
Shen Mengli was surprised to see Wenwen out at this hour. She quickly hid something under her cushion and asked casually, as if nothing was wrong.
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
