The Cuckoo Occupies the Magpie's Nest

"Mm..."

Early in the morning, Xie Yuyan drowsily opened her calm eyes. She had thought lying on Ye Feng's bed would carry the warmth of home, but now this imagined home felt strangely unfamiliar—like a cuckoo occupying another's nest, leaving her unsettled.

"Ye Feng..."

Still half-asleep, Xie Yuyan sat up and glanced at the mess on the floor, her heart numb. After last night's investigation, she pieced together clues suggesting Ye Feng hadn't been gone long—as if he'd left for some purpose. The woman beside him wasn't his student, meaning she must have entered his life after Xie Yuyan's departure.

"A sneaky little cat... how disgusting!"

The words spilled from her lips, her face twisted in revulsion.

"It seems Ye Feng has no idea I've returned... Well then, I'll just wait here for my prey."

With that, Xie Yuyan stepped onto Shen Mengli's blanket, pulling a dagger from its cotton-filled depths before sliding it back into her waistband. Stretching her graceful figure, she licked her lips, stained with blood. Unconsciously, she had bitten them raw upon detecting the intruder's presence, the metallic taste the only thing that kept her rage in check.

"Now... I'll erase every trace in this house that doesn't belong to me and Ye Feng!"

She let out a soft, alluring laugh, her tone dripping with charm—yet her dark eyes burned with murderous intent.

......

"Mengli? Mengli?"

Ye Feng poked Shen Mengli's delicate cheek as she buried her face in his chest. Like a child refusing to wake, she nuzzled deeper into him, still exhausted from last night's nightmares.

After a few more futile prods, Ye Feng gave up. Just as he moved to get up and pack, Shen Mengli's eyes snapped open. In a flash, she pounced, pinning him down beneath her.

"Xiao Feng... do you realize you've awakened a sleeping beast?"

Her silver hair cascaded around them like a waterfall, enclosing the two in their own intimate world.

Ye Feng gazed up at her, his heart fluttering as if tickled by a kitten's paws. Quickly, he tried to free his hands. "Sorry, Mengli—go back to sleep. I shouldn’t have disturbed you. Now get off, I need to pack."

Shen Mengli wasn’t about to let him escape. As Ye Feng reached to lift her, she slithered like an eel, pressing herself against his chest.

Dodging his grasp, she cupped his face as usual and sealed his lips with a kiss.

"Mengli, wait—mmph—!"

Ye Feng had anticipated this. He’d even tried to stop her with a stern tone, but his words were smothered before he could finish.

"Mmm~"

A tingling current surged through Ye Feng’s body as Shen Mengli clung to him. His mind fogged with desire, her scent overwhelming every sense. Just as he teetered on the edge, the slight parting of his teeth snapped him back to reality like a bucket of ice water.

"Mengli!"

He gripped her shoulders and pushed her onto the mattress, seizing the chance to stand. The ghost of her kiss lingered on his lips, tempting him to surrender.

"Mm~"

Shen Mengli lay sprawled on the bed, dazed and breathless, still lost in the haze of their kiss.

Seeing her like this, Ye Feng swallowed his scolding—it’d be pointless. With a resigned sigh, he headed for the door.

Walking through the hotel restaurant, Ye Feng pulled up his system interface, focusing on Xie Yuyan’s progress bar. Overnight, it remained frozen at 99%.

The gallery’s exploration stats hadn’t budged either. He combed through every accessible system detail but found no changes.

"Tch. This is like searching for a needle in a haystack. If only I could find Xie Yuyan—maybe then I’d get answers."

As he dismissed the interface, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Huh? Who’d call at this hour?"

Curious, he checked the screen—an unknown number.

"Who is this? Some telemarketer?"

He answered, pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello? Who’s this?"

"......"

Silence. Only the faint drip of water echoed on the other end.

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

He tried again, but the line stayed dead.

Click.

Before Ye Feng could hang up, the call disconnected first. He shrugged. "Wrong number, I guess."

......

"Drip..."

Xie Yuyan lowered the phone from her ear. Moments later, the bathroom door creaked open, steam swirling as a voluptuous figure emerged. Crimson hair dripped down her bare shoulders.

"Hehe, so it really was Ye Feng’s voice~ Seems he’s still clueless about my return. Perfect. I can’t wait to hear his cries of apology—it’ll be music to my ears~"

Her hands rose to her cheeks, her eyes glinting with madness and hunger.

"Oh, I know you’ve got your secrets and tricks, Ye Feng... but I’ll uncover every last one. No matter how many cards you hold, I’ll tear them to shreds. And when you’re left defenseless..."

Her tongue flicked over her lips.

"...I’ll devour you whole."

"Drip... drip..."

......