“Yuxin, I didn’t mean to criticize you. Please don’t say that.”
Ye Feng quickly interjected.
“I just wanted to remind you—compared to when we first started lessons, you’ve improved so much.”
“Brother Ye Feng... you’ve always been so gentle.”
Su Yuxin couldn’t help but chuckle softly as she watched Ye Feng desperately try to cheer her up. She twirled in her dress, hands clasped behind her back.
“Hehe, you’re still the best to me~”
“Yuxin, do you really think I’m gentle?”
“Hmm?”
At first, Su Yuxin didn’t think much of Ye Feng’s words, but after a moment, she caught the implication.
The word “also” meant someone else had said the same thing to him.
Realizing she wasn’t the first, Su Yuxin gritted her teeth but forced a curious smile. “Oh? Why would you say that, Brother Ye Feng? Has someone else told you that before?”
“Ah... well... yes... but I didn’t really think much of it.”
Ye Feng laughed awkwardly.
It must be Mucheng... Is she still not letting go? Doesn’t she understand the concept of first come, first served? I always put her first before, and this is how she repays me?
Tch... No wonder no one wants to talk to her. I must’ve been blind to ever call her a friend.
While mentally scorning Li Mucheng, Su Yuxin stepped forward and looped her arm through Ye Feng’s, as if clinging to him could soothe her simmering anger.
“Brother Ye Feng, let me walk you out? If we bother the security guard to open the gate, there’ll be all that tedious registration stuff. It’ll be much easier if I’m with you.”
“Mmm... thanks, Yuxin. But, uh, your hand...”
Ye Feng felt uneasy—Su Yuxin’s smile seemed forced, like she was smiling just for the sake of it.
“I just want to spend more time with you. It’s so boring being alone at home.”
“Alright, let’s go...”
Ye Feng let her have her way. After Su Yuxin changed into her boots, the two headed toward the villa district’s main gate.
The walk was silent. Su Yuxin clung tightly to Ye Feng’s arm, clearly reluctant to see him leave.
“Brother Ye Feng.”
“Hm?”
“Can I come to your place tomorrow?”
Thud.
Ye Feng’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly recovered.
Having Su Yuxin over wasn’t a problem in itself, but with Shen Mengli now staying at his place, he’d essentially have to take care of two people. Worse, Shen Mengli’s condition made it inconvenient for outsiders to visit. Still, not wanting to upset Su Yuxin, he chose his words carefully.
“How about this, Yuxin? After all these lessons, you deserve a break. Why don’t we go out and do something fun tomorrow?”
“......”
When Su Yuxin didn’t respond immediately, Ye Feng assumed she disliked the idea. Just as he was about to backtrack, she suddenly jumped with excitement.
“Yes! Perfect!”
“Y-Yuxin?”
Her outburst caught him off guard.
“Of course! I’ve always wanted to go out with you! But Father’s always been so strict—I hardly ever get to leave...”
Ah, so that’s it. The downsides of being a rich kid, huh?
“Don’t worry, Yuxin. Tomorrow’s your chance. Though, I’m not sure what you’d enjoy, so the experience might be...”
“That’s not true!”
Su Yuxin cut him off.
“As long as I’m with you, Brother Ye Feng, anything would be fun! Since you suggested it, I’ll come find you tomorrow~”
“N-No, I’ll come pick you up instead. CEO Su would feel better that way. Otherwise, if he sends bodyguards to tail us, you won’t enjoy yourself.”
“Hmm... you’re right.”
Su Yuxin fell right into his reasoning, oblivious to the rejection. Her mind was already racing with plans for their “date.”
“So just wait for me at the gate, okay?”
“Got it! See you tomorrow, Brother Ye Feng~”
By then, they’d reached the gate. Su Yuxin waved goodbye, watching until Ye Feng disappeared into a taxi before skipping back home.
She had a lot of preparations to make for tomorrow.
As for Li Mucheng? She could wait for their wedding invitation.
......
In the taxi, Ye Feng checked his phone—the sun was nearly setting. Worry gnawed at him. How’s Mengli doing?
I should call.
Ring... ring...
No answer. The call timed out, and panic surged.
Did something happen?!
“Driver, step on it.”
He redialed, leaning forward.
“Kid, we’re in the city. Speeding’s not—”
“I’ll pay extra.”
“Hold on tight, pal. This ride’s the fastest in Shu City!”
......
“Mmm...”
Shen Mengli stirred on the sofa, blinking awake.
“Did I fall asleep?”
She sat up, scanning the room. No sign of Ye Feng. Outside, the sky blazed with dusk.
“He’s still not back... He promised he’d hurry.”
Her disheveled hair veiled her face, but the loneliness in her eyes peeked through.
Wait—Xiao Feng said to call if I needed him!
Clutching the teddy bear to her chest, she grabbed her phone from the coffee table.
Flipping it over, she froze. The screen was flooded with notifications—dozens of missed calls, all from “Ye.”
“Huh? X-Xiao Feng? When did...”
She’d accidentally left it on silent. Heart pounding, she frantically hit redial.
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
