"Beep... beep..."
Just as Shen Mengli heard the dial tone from her phone, the door behind her suddenly swung open, followed by a figure stumbling in.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
The abrupt noise startled Shen Mengli, leaving her momentarily frozen. But when she focused, she realized the person rushing in was none other than Ye Feng.
"Xiao... Xiao Feng?"
Ye Feng let out a long breath of relief at the sight of Shen Mengli unharmed. The moment he'd stepped out of the car, he had sprinted home without pause—thankfully, she was safe.
"Mengli, thank goodness... you're okay..."
"Xiao Feng, you..."
Shen Mengli took in Ye Feng's exhausted expression and instantly understood. Tentatively, she asked,
"Was it because of the call?"
Ye Feng didn’t speak, only giving a slight nod.
"I knew it... I-I’m so sorry, Xiao Feng! I accidentally fell asleep, and my phone was on silent..."
Shen Mengli’s voice trembled, on the verge of tears, but before she could finish, Ye Feng stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. The sudden gesture left her speechless, her guilt and explanations dissolving into silence.
"Xiao Feng... I’m sorry..."
Shen Mengli wrapped her arms around him in return, berating herself for not waking up sooner.
Feeling the rapid rise and fall of Ye Feng’s chest, her heart ached as if pierced by needles. Not only had she failed to share his burdens, but she’d also made him worry like this.
"Wah... X-Xiao Feng, I’m sorry..."
"Mengli?"
As Ye Feng calmed down, he realized his reaction might have been too intense. Just as he was about to let go, he noticed tears streaming down Shen Mengli’s face.
"M-Mengli, don’t cry! Did I scare you just now?"
He started to lean back, only to feel Shen Mengli’s hands firmly gripping his back. Then, with a sudden shift, she pressed her delicate frame against him.
"M-Mengli, let go—I’m going to fall—"
Thud.
A heavy sound echoed as they tumbled to the floor. Ye Feng grunted, instinctively shielding the back of Shen Mengli’s head with his hand while she lay nearly fully atop him.
"Mengli, are you hurt?"
Ye Feng looked up, meeting Shen Mengli’s captivating crimson eyes as she gazed down at him from his chest.
"Xiao Feng... I... I..."
A strange sensation flooded her as she registered their position. Placing her hands on Ye Feng’s chest, she slowly pushed herself up.
"What’s wrong, Mengli? Are you feeling unwell? Should I take you to the hosp—"
Before he could finish, Shen Mengli gently cupped his face with her delicate hands.
"M-Mengli?"
"It’s nothing, Xiao Feng. I’m just... so happy. Meeting someone as kind as you—I must be the luckiest person in the world."
"Alright, Mengli, the floor’s cold. Let me carry you back to the sofa..."
"Mm."
Flustered by her unexpected praise, Ye Feng sat up, carefully angling himself away from her head.
Yet Shen Mengli seemed to have the same thought, tilting her head in the opposite direction—only for their foreheads to accidentally bump together.
"M-Mengli!"
"X-Xiao Feng?"
Face-to-face, so close they could feel each other’s breath, the air between them grew thick.
"S-Sorry... I didn’t think you’d also..."
"Mm... I didn’t expect you to either..."
They shared an awkward glance before turning their heads in sync—only to collide again.
"......"
"Mengli, it wasn’t on purpose this time, I—"
Ye Feng leaned back, intending to lift her, but Shen Mengli suddenly seemed to steel herself. She pressed her hands over his, stopping him, then tilted her head forward—closing the distance between them.
"Meng— Mmph—"
"Mmm..."
Their lips met, soft and hesitant. Ye Feng’s eyes widened in shock as Shen Mengli, eyes shut, pressed herself closer. Only then did he snap back to reality, swiftly maneuvering around her arms to carry her to the sofa.
"Mm..."
Shen Mengli slowly opened her eyes, taking in Ye Feng’s flustered expression. Realizing what she’d done on instinct, she hurried to explain before misunderstandings could arise:
"X-Xiao Feng, is this... what you wanted? I-I didn’t understand your actions earlier, but... I just wanted to make you happy..."
"Uh—"
Her words made Ye Feng swallow his initial response. According to her, she’d misinterpreted his movements as a desire to kiss her—and so, to please him, she’d taken the initiative.
Though her reasoning felt a bit forced, the deep blush on her cheeks and her darting eyes seemed too genuine to be an act. Besides, someone as innocent as Mengli couldn’t possibly be scheming.
"I-I’m sorry, Xiao Feng... I shouldn’t have overthought things. After causing you so much worry and doing something so shameless... maybe I should just disappear..."
Her self-reproach only deepened Ye Feng’s guilt.
"Hey hey hey! Don’t say that, Mengli. What happened was just an accident. There’s no need to blame yourself."
"No! What I did to you was unforgivable!"
"Mengli, listen to me carefully, okay?"
Ye Feng sat beside her on the sofa, his voice gentle but firm.
"If you say it was unintentional, then I believe you. I know you’re always trying so hard to help me, but I don’t want you carrying such a heavy burden because of me. What I want is for you to think more about yourself—not just focus on others and neglect your own feelings."
"Xiao Feng... you’re doing it again..."
Shen Mengli buried her face, too embarrassed to look at him.
"You’ll spoil me rotten like this."
"And what’s wrong with spoiling someone as sweet and thoughtful as you? Even the headmistress dotes on you—doesn’t that prove you’re already doing more than enough?"
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
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.
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!
