Occasionally Be a Little Willful

"P-Palace Master, please calm your anger..."

A man in a white lab coat stepped forward from the shadows of the grand hall.

"Oh? Doctor, do you have some brilliant insight? You rarely leave your lab—could it be that even you are afraid?"

The Palace Master gazed down curiously at the man kneeling before her.

"H-How could that be! That Cold Snake merely won by fluke, relying on her combat skills. But my creations are nothing like her."

The doctor’s confidence seemed to grow as he adjusted his glasses with one hand.

"Following your orders, I’ve spent the past few years refining a new batch of enhanced subjects. Unlike the old methods of training assassins, which wasted resources and effort, my serum-enhanced 'treasures' will surpass even the finest killers. Forget one Cold Snake—even ten of her wouldn’t stand a chance!"

"Oh? So your experiments have succeeded?"

The Palace Master arched a brow in surprise. Years ago, she had envisioned a more efficient way to produce assassins for the Dark Palace, but the doctor’s slow progress had hindered the organization’s growth. Fortunately, Cold Snake’s unmatched skills had kept the Dark Palace ahead of rival factions.

Xie Yuyan—Cold Snake—had never failed a single mission. But that very perfection had sown seeds of unease in the Palace Master’s mind.

The louder Xie Yuyan’s reputation grew, the greater the threat she posed. What if another faction swayed her to betrayal? And from what the Palace Master had observed, Xie Yuyan had indeed shown signs of wanting to leave.

There was no way the Palace Master would let her go. Xie Yuyan, the Dark Palace’s top-ranked assassin, was swiftly marked for elimination. But on the day of her capture, something went wrong. Now, Xie Yuyan had come knocking—undoubtedly seeking revenge.

First, the elite task force was wiped out. Then, one stronghold after another fell. It was clear: Xie Yuyan intended to annihilate the Dark Palace entirely. The Palace Master, sensing the looming danger, felt true tension for the first time.

How ironic—the hunter now hunted.

Once, she had pursued Xie Yuyan. Now, the tables had turned. But the Palace Master refused to panic. Xie Yuyan was just one woman. Could she really bring down the entire Dark Palace? Ridiculous.

And now, with the doctor’s trump card in hand, the Palace Master felt invincible. The moment Xie Yuyan was captured, she would make her suffer a fate worse than death.

Come, Cold Snake. I’ll show you—a slave can never break free.

---

"Xiao Feng."

"Hmm?"

Late at night, Ye Feng had just finished washing up when he stepped into the bedroom and found Shen Mengli sitting on the bed, calling his name.

"Mengli, is there something else you haven’t told me?"

"Well..."

Shen Mengli nodded slightly, her lips parting as if to speak, but no words came out.

"Mengli?"

Noticing her evasive gaze, Ye Feng walked over and sat beside her.

"Tell me what’s on your mind. Isn’t it what friends do—to care for each other?"

"T-Then... I’ll say it."

Too shy to meet his eyes, Shen Mengli buried her face lower.

"Go ahead."

"Xiao Feng... is there anything you like?"

"Things I like? Haha, why the sudden question?"

"You’ve been so good to me... I want to do something for you too, even if it’s something small."

Hearing the stubbornness in her voice, Ye Feng didn’t try to dissuade her this time. He knew that constantly rejecting her kindness would only let her emotions fester—unhealthy for both mind and body.

"Alright, since you insist... Can I make one small request?"

"Really?! I thought you’d refuse me again!"

Her grip tightened around the stuffed bear in her arms as she lifted her head, the faint crease between her brows smoothing away.

"I kept saying no because I didn’t want you to overthink things for my sake. But even if I refused, you’d still find a way to sneak something in, wouldn’t you?"

"N-No way! I... I’m very obedient!"

"Oh? Then I guess I don’t need to accept your thanks this time."

"No! You can’t!"

Shen Mengli immediately protested.

"Hm?"

Ye Feng smirked, leaning closer to whisper in her ear.

"Who was it that just claimed to be 'very obedient'? Now you’re being rebellious?"

"Mmm... I-It’s okay to be a little willful sometimes..."

"Hahaha, Mengli, that excuse is so flimsy."

"D-Don’t laugh at me! Xiao Feng, you always bully me!"

"What’s wrong with teasing you a little? Didn’t you just say it’s fine to be willful sometimes?"

"Mean Xiao Feng..."

Her eyes glistened like autumn waters as her lips parted slightly, murmuring something inaudible.

"...Then... you have to bully me forever, okay~?"

"Huh? What was that?"

"N-Nothing!"

"Hmm... Feels like you just cursed me. Are you secretly some kind of hex master?"

"Xiao—Feng!! I’m ignoring you now!"

"Sorry, sorry... I was just joking..."

---

"Haa... haa..."

Late into the night, Ye Feng propped himself up slightly, gazing at Shen Mengli as she slept soundly, clutching her stuffed bear. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he adjusted the blanket over her shoulders.

He had lived in this unfamiliar world for so long now. Trapped by this damned system, forced to carry out tasks he despised—even kidnapping these kind, innocent girls. If only he could fight back, he’d make this wretched system explode on the spot.

Li Mucheng, cold and untouchable. Su Yuxin, sweet as the girl next door. Xie Yuyan, sharp as a rose’s thorns. And Shen Mengli, gentle and understanding. Every one of them was a good person, yet he had approached them all for the sake of the system’s missions. By all logic, once the tasks were done, he should be free to enjoy himself or await the next assignment.

But Ye Feng had never been that kind of person. He wanted to make amends—to compensate these girls for the harm he’d caused.

Yet... if they ever learned the truth behind his actions, they would surely hate him.