Seeing the dagger, Ye Feng's body instinctively trembled, as if struck by some sudden stimulus.
Well, I pour my heart out for you, and you repay me with a knife? Good thing I came back early, or I’d have suffered...
"What’s the deal with this knife?"
Ye Feng stared expressionlessly at the dagger on the floor before shifting his gaze to Xie Yuyan, who couldn’t meet his eyes.
"I... I was actually going to use it to cut the cake... Would you believe me, Ye Feng?"
"What do you think?"
"Wuwu... I’m sorry..."
"Sigh."
By now, Ye Feng had grasped Xie Yuyan’s state of mind. But he couldn’t just beat her up, could he? The only option was to try and soothe this guilt-ridden woman with words.
"Xie Yuyan."
"Yes!"
"Come here."
"Ye Feng?"
Hearing his commanding tone, Xie Yuyan timidly raised her head. This was the first time Ye Feng had ever spoken to her like this.
Under Xie Yuyan’s anxious gaze, Ye Feng slowly opened his arms and said gently, "What are you standing there for? Want me to hug you?"
"Wuu... Ye Feng!"
Xie Yuyan hadn’t expected Ye Feng to not be angry with her at all. She’d thought today would end in disaster because of her reckless actions, yet he forgave her rudeness.
Unable to contain the joy of having him back, Xie Yuyan threw herself into Ye Feng’s warm embrace.
"Xiao Feng!"
Feeling the trembling of the delicate figure in his arms, Ye Feng knew Xie Yuyan was still shaken. He patted her back reassuringly. "There, there, it’s alright now."
"Mmm..."
"Yuyan, promise me you won’t act so impulsively again, okay? No more dangerous stunts, or I’ll really get mad."
"I—I promise, Ye Feng! I won’t cause you any more trouble... I really won’t..."
"Good. Remember your words."
Ye Feng stroked Xie Yuyan’s hair softly before shifting to a tender tone.
"It’s getting late. Time for dinner. Do you want cake first or the meal?"
"Cake!"
Without hesitation, Xie Yuyan chose the cake, pulling away from Ye Feng’s arms to gaze at him affectionately.
"I missed my chance once. I won’t let it slip away again!"
"Alright."
......
"Mengli? Mengli?"
"Ah!"
Shen Mengli snapped her head up at the headmistress’s voice, slowly regaining focus.
"Headmistress? What’s wrong?"
"Mengli, is something bothering you? You’ve been distracted lately."
"N-no, not really..."
Shen Mengli tried to deflect, but under the headmistress’s knowing gaze, she quickly faltered.
"I’m sorry, Headmistress... There is something..."
"Would you like to talk about it?"
The headmistress sat quietly beside Shen Mengli, as if piecing things together. "If I had to guess, it’s about Mr. Ye Feng, isn’t it?"
"Mm... mmm..."
Shen Mengli struggled to speak but eventually nodded meekly.
"What happened with Mr. Ye Feng?"
"Xiao Feng... he... he’s going through something."
"Something caused by himself, right?"
"......"
This time, Shen Mengli didn’t answer, but her silence spoke volumes.
"Sigh... I warned Mr. Ye Feng about this before, but he didn’t listen."
"Headmistress, what did you tell Xiao Feng?"
"I said..."
......
"Ye Feng, you’re so gentle~"
"......"
Xie Yuyan’s words made Ye Feng pause, as if they’d triggered a memory.
"Ye Feng?"
Resting her head on his shoulder, Xie Yuyan reached up to touch his cheek curiously.
"Yeah, I’m here. Looks like we won’t finish the cake."
Ye Feng snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at the last untouched slice—though this time, he wasn’t eating alone.
"Ye Feng..."
Seizing the moment, Xie Yuyan leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"The cake... is delicious~"
......
"Mr. Ye Feng’s greatest strength is his gentleness—and also his downfall."
The headmistress sighed, frustrated that Ye Feng hadn’t heeded her advice.
"That’s just how Xiao Feng is... If it weren’t for his kindness, I’d never have met him. But he shows that gentleness to everyone... and that’s why I can’t stop overthinking."
Shen Mengli looked up at the headmistress.
"Headmistress, can you give me some advice? I don’t... I don’t want to lose Xiao Feng. I absolutely refuse!"
"Mengli..."
The headmistress closed her eyes, thinking for a moment before offering a solution.
"Your chance will come only when Mr. Ye Feng chooses to stop being gentle."
"When Xiao Feng stops being gentle..."
Shen Mengli murmured the words, slowly realizing their meaning.
Right... Only when Xiao Feng’s kindness leads to disaster will he finally see the truth. And when he’s drowning in despair, I’ll be the one to pull him back. Then, his heart will belong to me alone.
"Xiao Feng..."
Seeing the faint smile on Shen Mengli’s lips, the headmistress finally relaxed. All she wanted was Shen Mengli’s happiness—everyone else was irrelevant.
"Thank you, Headmistress. I know what to do now."
"I’m glad you understand. Will you be exercising today as usual?"
"Mhm!"
......
"Teacher..."
Li Mucheng lay alone on her bed, clutching a fox mask in her hand, her heart carved with deep wounds.
"Why... Why did you hide it from me? Why were you with other women when I knew nothing about it?"
"I loved you... I loved you so much. Why did you betray me? Teacher... why?"
Her once bright, obsidian-like eyes now seemed veiled in an eerie mist, growing darker and more unfathomable.
"Hehe... hehe..."
"If this is how you want it, Teacher, then don’t blame me~ I thought we’d be happy together, but I guess that was just a dream. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure your eyes stay fixed on me, and only me~"
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!
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.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
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."
