"Creak..."
The sound of a wooden door groaning jolted Shen Mengli awake. The moment she opened her eyes, a pair of icy blue eyes, turbulent like raging waves, bore into her. The hostility in that gaze made her feel as if an invisible hand had clenched around her heart, stealing her breath.
No matter how desperately she shook Ye Feng in front of her, there was no response—until a warm, sticky sensation seeped into her fingers, making her tremble. The warmth felt like thick paint coating her skin, and the metallic tang of rust filled her nostrils as it soaked into the sheets.
This... this is...
Shen Mengli stared in shock at her hands, now drenched in the "paint." Only under the faint glow from the window did she realize the truth.
"Blood? Xiao Feng's... Xiao Feng's blood?"
"Giggle, giggle~"
The shadow looming over her burst into laughter—a crazed, hollow sound, as if whatever heart it once had had been devoured, leaving only a puppet following a script.
"No... I won’t let you have him... He’s mine, mine alone!"
As the shadow spoke, a bloodstained blade materialized in its grip. A flash of crimson light, and the knife lunged straight for Shen Mengli’s heart.
Just before the blade could pierce her flawless skin, the shadow dissolved into wispy black smoke, vanishing into nothingness...
"Xiao Feng..."
Shen Mengli jolted awake, her eyes snapping open to reality. Beside her, Ye Feng wore an awkward expression, caught mid-motion as he prepared to leave the bed and pack for their upcoming trip. He hadn’t expected her to wake just then.
"Sorry, Mengli. Did I wake you?"
Seeing her crimson eyes brimming with tears, Ye Feng frowned in confusion.
Sure, I disturbed her rest, but crying? And why is she staring at me like that? Better apologize again.
"Sorry, Mengli, I—"
"Waaah!"
Before he could finish, Shen Mengli flung herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Her cries and hiccups echoed through the room.
"No... don’t... Xiao Feng, don’t!"
"Eh? Wha—?!"
Ye Feng looked down at her tear-streaked face, utterly bewildered. The way she spoke made it sound like he’d done something terrible.
"Mengli, hold on—I’m lost. What’s going on—?"
"Please... Xiao Feng... don’t die... don’t die!"
"......"
Don’t die? What’s that supposed to mean? She’s adorable, but is she cursing me now?
"Mengli, there’s gotta be a misunderstanding. I’m perfectly fine—why would I die—?"
"No, it’s not like that!"
Shen Mengli’s voice cracked as she shouted.
"I saw it... I saw..."
Mid-sentence, her body stiffened, as if struck by a sudden realization, and she fell silent.
"What did you see, Mengli?"
She sniffled, lifting her head to study Ye Feng’s unharmed form before exhaling in relief.
"I saw... a ghostly face..."
"A ghostly face? Mengli, did you have a nightmare?"
"Y-yes... a nightmare."
She wiped the lingering tears from her eyes with delicate fingers, though occasional hiccups still escaped.
As she collected herself, she realized: telling Ye Feng about the visions from her hallucination might not convince him. Worse, she didn’t even understand why these dreams were happening. Whether it was the first vision of the four gathered or this second attack by the shadow, everything felt hyper-real, immersive—yet undeniably dreamlike. Maybe it was a side effect of that pill? Designed to torment her mind?
"Sorry, Xiao Feng... I don’t know why I had such a nightmare. Did I disturb you?"
Her voice softened into a whisper as she steadied herself, guilt creeping in as she noticed his shirt dampened by her tears.
"Sorry for wetting your clothes..."
Ye Feng’s expression remained stern, and for a moment, Shen Mengli braced for a scolding. But then—a large hand settled gently atop her head. She looked up to find him smiling.
"Xiao... Feng?"
"I don’t know what nightmare you had, but it clearly upset you, didn’t it?"
His fingers combed through her disheveled hair, tucking stray strands behind her ears with tender care.
"But nightmares are just nightmares. All we need to do is live our real lives well. So don’t overthink it, Mengli. Face the nightmare bravely, and you’ll see—it’s nothing but a paper tiger."
Shen Mengli closed her eyes, savoring his comforting touch. Only when his hand withdrew did she peek up again. "I understand. Thank you, Xiao Feng~"
"Mm. Time’s almost up—we should get going, yeah?"
"G-going? We?"
The sudden statement left her dazed, but the sparkle in Ye Feng’s eyes hinted at something exciting.
"Xiao Feng, where are we going?"
He chuckled, tapping her forehead lightly. "To... the place you’ve always wanted to visit most."
"The place I’ve always wanted... That’s—!"
Realization dawned. She clapped a hand over her parted lips, staring at him in disbelief.
"Xiao Feng, you mean—the ocean!"
"Bingo."
Seizing the moment, Ye Feng slipped free from her embrace. She’d clung to him all night; he’d only just managed to wriggle free earlier, and now she’d latched on again.
"Actually, I bought the tickets yesterday. Kept it a secret—figured it’d be a nice surprise."
"Why...?"
Her throat tightened. The tears she’d fought back surged anew, breaching like a dam overwhelmed by floodwaters. Even as a smile graced her lips, the tears fell unchecked.
"Xiao Feng... why are you so good to me...?"
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
with Taming My Adopted Niece) (Multiple Heroines + Power Fantasy) Before transmigrating, Wang Jianqiang suffered greatly from novels with no female leads. Holding firm to the belief that "women only slow down my blade," he stubbornly maintained his virginity even after decades in the Sect of Dual Cultivation. In his twilight years, with his cultivation stagnant at the third level of Qi Refining, he finally succumbed and "rewarded" himself once—triggering the awakening of the Godly Cultivation System. From then on, he realized women might actually be his lucky stars on the path to immortality. Deciding to indulge freely and savor life, he found his ungrateful adopted niece knocking at his door...
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
