"Ye~~ Feng~~"
As Ye Feng set down his phone, Xie Yuyan returned to the bedroom from the living room. Noticing his distracted expression, she felt a twinge of irritation but quickly suppressed it. After all, it was already a stroke of luck that he had forgiven her for today’s incident. The last thing she wanted was to push him further away.
"Ah, Xie Yuyan, where did you go?"
"I was cleaning up the living room... I’m really sorry for making such a mess earlier."
"It’s partly because we didn’t communicate well. But next time, don’t act so impulsively. If it weren’t for my..."
Ye Feng suddenly cut himself off, noticing that despite Xie Yuyan’s guilty expression, her eyes were fixed intently on him—as if she were scrutinizing something.
"If it weren’t for what?"
"Ah... nothing, never mind."
Ye Feng brushed it off with a laugh and steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Xie Yuyan, what are your plans for the future? Like pursuing hobbies or figuring out your life?"
Seeing that he wouldn’t reveal what was on his mind, Xie Yuyan’s face fell with disappointment. But then it struck her—her own actions had probably scared him, damaging their relationship. The thought made her want to slap herself. If only she had waited patiently for Ye Feng to return, maybe things would have turned out better.
"Xie Yuyan?"
"Ah! Sorry, Ye Feng, I zoned out for a second."
Snapping back to reality, she sat beside him, tilting her head.
"Ye Feng, what did you just say? I didn’t quite catch it."
"Sounds like you weren’t listening at all."
Ye Feng muttered under his breath before repeating himself.
"So? What do you think, Xie Yuyan?"
"Me? In the future... no matter what happens, as long as I can stay by your side, I’ll go anywhere."
"......"
When Ye Feng remained silent, Xie Yuyan quickly changed the subject. In her mind, his lack of response was the best response.
"Ahaha... Ye Feng, I’ll go cook. While I was away, I learned a bunch of new dishes~ I’ll make sure you fall in love with my cooking from now on."
"Mm..."
Ye Feng knew that Xie Yuyan’s calm demeanor was only temporary. The slightest provocation could make her snap. He’d have to wait until his injuries healed before addressing things properly.
Xie Yuyan left the bedroom and entered the kitchen, her mind replaying the moment she had plunged a knife into Ye Feng’s chest. She had been certain he would leave her forever—but then, something unbelievable happened. The blade had slowly been pushed out, the wound healing miraculously, leaving only fresh blood on the knife. After confirming he was alive, she bandaged him up and laid him gently on the bed...
"Ye Feng... what other secrets are you hiding? If things really escalate beyond repair, will I even be able to control him? I can’t let my emotions take over again. I have to stay calm... until I uncover all of Ye Feng’s secrets. Only then can I decide what to do."
Having steeled her resolve, Xie Yuyan began preparing an elaborate dinner. After being apart for so long, she wanted Ye Feng to feel the warmth of home again. She would make up for every lost moment—because she could sense his heart drifting elsewhere.
......
As dusk fell, the fading light gave way to an undercurrent of unrest, silently stirring in the shadows of Ye Feng’s life.
"Mm... did I fall asleep again?"
Ye Feng rubbed his bleary eyes, his mind clearing as he woke. After Xie Yuyan left the room, exhaustion from his injuries had pulled him under. Now, gazing at the darkened sky outside, he finally roused.
"Ye Feng, you’re awake."
Xie Yuyan’s voice whispered beside him, her warm breath brushing his ear, jolting him further awake.
Turning toward the sound, he found her sitting cross-legged on the floor, arms folded on the edge of the bed as she leaned in, her luminous eyes locking onto his. Unlike Shen Mengli’s gaze—which was like a tempest, alternating between turbulence and serenity—Xie Yuyan’s eyes held a hypnotic allure. Every time he met Shen Mengli’s stare, he felt himself losing ground, as if teetering on the edge of an abyss. If not for his self-control, he might have already...
"Ye Feng~"
Xie Yuyan noticed his distant expression and knew his thoughts had wandered. At a moment like this, he dares to space out? Unbelievable!
Before he could react, she cupped his face, forcing his attention back to her.
"Right now is our time. I won’t allow your eyes to stray from me!"
"Xie Yuyan? Wait, I just zoned out for a second—"
"I don’t care! Who gets distracted mid-conversation? You’re clearly in the wrong here, so... I’m punishing you!"
"Punishing? Xie Yuyan, hold on— Mm—"
Before he could finish, she closed the distance, pressing her lips lightly against his. Though just a fleeting touch, her goal was achieved.
"Consider this my interest~ How could you punish me when you’re the one at fault? If you mess up, I’ll punish you too! That’s only fair!"
"But that’s not even a punishment! That’s just—"
"Oh? Just~ what?"
Her sultry voice curled around him, her smirk daring him to challenge her.
"Nothing... you’re right, Xie Yuyan. I slipped up, so your logic checks out."
"Right~ So from now on, if you ever fall short, it’s only fair that I get to punish you, yes?"
"......"
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.
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!" "......"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
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!
