"Is this... for me?"
Xie Yuyan stared at the neatly arranged items in the cabinet, not a speck of dust in sight. Her delicate hand flew to her lips in shock as a wave of regret slowly filled her heart.
"Of course. These are all gifts left for you, and... well, they’re also my promises to you."
Ye Feng pursed his lips, carefully observing Xie Yuyan’s expression. He wasn’t sure if she’d like the pendant he’d bought for her, and a hint of worry crept in. Her icy demeanor made him think the gift might not be to her taste. But since he’d already bought it, he had no choice but to press on.
"Xie Yuyan, why don’t you open it and see? It might not be perfect, but I didn’t know what you’d like... so I just went with my gut."
Xie Yuyan ignored his words, instead cradling the exquisite gift box in her hands. She admired it for a moment, wiped her palms on her clothes, and then finally opened it.
Inside lay a pendant adorned with a pale blue gemstone. The flawless jewel sparkled like Xie Yuyan’s mesmerizing eyes. Even in the dim light of the room, the gem emitted a soft glow, like the only ray of hope in the darkness.
Ye Feng watched as Xie Yuyan seemed to freeze, his last shred of hope crumbling. Clearly, she wasn’t just unimpressed—she was stunned. In her eyes, this gift must have felt like an insult.
"I-I’m sorry, Xie Yuyan. I should’ve discussed it with you first. If you don’t like it—"
"I love it."
"Huh?"
Ye Feng’s words caught in his throat as Xie Yuyan finally spoke.
"I said... I love this gift."
She reached into the box, lifting the pendant and clutching it tightly in her palm before turning to face Ye Feng with a radiant smile.
"Thank you, Ye Feng. I... I really, really love it."
Lying on the bed, Ye Feng was momentarily dazed by her sudden, dazzling smile. Her delicate features and the curve of her lips left him speechless. After a pause, he stammered, "R-Really? I’m glad... I’m so glad you like it."
"I’ll treasure it forever. I won’t let anything happen to it."
"It’s not that serious! Xie Yuyan, try it on—I bet it’ll look amazing on you."
"If you say so, then I will."
Xie Yuyan nodded gently, carefully placing the gift box back in the cabinet before unfastening the chain of the pendant. She swept her hair aside and fastened the necklace around her neck.
The pendant suited her perfectly. The moment she put it on, her entire aura became even more enchanting, like a rare and exquisite rose exuding an intoxicating fragrance—a visual feast for Ye Feng.
"H-How do I look?"
Under Ye Feng’s unwavering gaze, Xie Yuyan grew shy, lowering her head slightly and biting her lip as she asked.
"Ah! Beautiful! Of course you look beautiful!"
Realizing he’d been staring, Ye Feng scratched his head awkwardly. It wasn’t proper to gawk at her like that—what if she thought he was a creep?
"Mmm... As long as you like it, Ye Feng."
His praise sent a wave of sweetness through her heart, like honey melting on her tongue. She lifted a hand to gently touch the pendant at her neck, her smile widening.
The atmosphere grew subtly tense, and silence lingered between them. Finally, Xie Yuyan broke it.
"Ye Feng... Besides the phone you bought me, I also saw a set of keys in the cabinet. What do they open?"
"Oh, those keys!"
Ye Feng perked up at the question.
"Remember how I promised you a safe place to stay?"
"This place is already safe enough..."
Xie Yuyan muttered under her breath.
"What was that?"
"N-Nothing! Go on, Ye Feng."
"Right. My original plan was to buy you a place of your own—somewhere you could call home and hide from your organization’s pursuit. After I got the bonus from Li Corporation, I bought an apartment for you. But since you weren’t around, the property was registered under my name. Now that you’re back, I can transfer it to you."
"An apartment? You mean... you bought me a home?"
"Yeah. After all, it was our promise."
"......"
Xie Yuyan’s heart swelled with happiness at first—Ye Feng had gone to such lengths for her. But then a thought struck her: Why was he transferring the ownership to her? To her, home wasn’t a place—it was wherever Ye Feng was.
"Then... what about you?"
She zeroed in on the key question.
"Me? I’ll stay here, of course. That place is for you, so—"
"No!"
Before he could finish, Xie Yuyan cut him off sharply, her usual softness replaced by urgency.
"I don’t want to be apart from you!"
"Xie Yuyan..."
"I don’t want an empty house! Or just a safe place to stay! What I want is a life—a life with you, Ye Feng. That’s the home I want..."
"......"
She laid her heart bare, locking eyes with him with unwavering resolve. No matter what, she wouldn’t back down.
"What’s so great about me?"
Ye Feng chuckled self-deprecatingly, caught off guard by her sudden outburst. He averted his gaze, eventually closing his eyes altogether.
"Someone like me... isn’t worth sticking around for."
"Don’t... don’t push me away! Ye Feng, you’re mine!"
His words sent a sharp pang through her chest, as if an unseen force took over her body. Before she knew it, she had rushed to his side.
Feeling her approach, Ye Feng’s eyes flew open—but before he could ask what she was doing, a delicate figure collapsed into his arms, and a pair of lips, tinged with the metallic tang of blood, pressed against his...
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.
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!
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."
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!
