"After all I've said, you still don't believe me?"
"N-no! It's not that!"
Li Mucheng was terrified that Ye Feng might grow impatient with her, fearing she'd lose him again.
"It just feels... too surreal to me. Like an unattainable luxury."
"It's not as exaggerated as you make it sound."
Ye Feng then steered the conversation toward Li Mucheng herself—there were things he still wanted to clarify.
"Do you usually get medical checkups?"
"Ch-checkups? Not really... I never paid much attention to that."
"I see..."
Ye Feng nodded thoughtfully at her response.
"O-oh, right..."
Li Mucheng seemed to recall something, clenching her fists as she stammered.
"C-can I... still call you... teacher?"
"Mm."
"Ugh..."
Hearing his answer, Li Mucheng nearly burst into tears—except she'd cried so much before that now, even when overwhelmed, the tears wouldn't come.
Finally... finally, Teacher has forgiven me! I thought I'd spend the rest of my life drowning in regret and pain.
Her heart was a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, she'd gotten back the very person she'd pushed away—joy and excitement mingled with sorrow and remorse.
On the other, she worried about how to interact with Ye Feng moving forward, desperate to avoid repeating past mistakes. Still, this was already a good start.
I still have a chance! This time, I won’t let my emotions control me. I won’t lose him again!
"T-teacher... thank you."
"No need for thanks, Mucheng. I haven’t done anything. As for lessons, they’ll have to wait until next week. There are... complications."
"I... understand."
Li Mucheng obediently didn’t pry into what those "complications" were, though curiosity gnawed at her. She knew better than to push her luck—Ye Feng giving her this chance was already a miracle. She wouldn’t ruin it with careless words.
"Then... promise me you’ll stay safe, okay? If—if anything dangerous happens, call me. I’ll talk to my father. No matter the cost, I’ll help you!"
"You really don’t have to, but I appreciate the sentiment. My life is fine as it is."
"Your life now..."
The moment he said it, images of Xie Yuyan and Ye Feng together flashed in Li Mucheng’s mind. Once, they’d filled her with rage and confusion. Now, they barely stung—she knew it was all her own fault.
"Teacher must be... really happy now."
"Yeah. I am."
"......"
The air between them, which had softened, suddenly turned heavy.
BANG!
The clinic door burst open. Ah Fu rushed in, panic written across his face.
"Ye Feng! Is the young mistress alright?!"
"I’m fine, Ah Fu. No need for dramatics."
Li Mucheng waved him off, and Ah Fu clamped his mouth shut, panting. He’d sprinted here the second he parked, fueled by Ye Feng’s earlier description—he’d have grown extra legs if he could.
"Since you’re here, Ah Fu, I’ll leave the rest to you. Mucheng’s fine—just needs proper rest to heal faster."
Ye Feng rose from his chair. He’d already wasted too much time; Xie Yuyan would be waiting.
"Understood. Young mistress—"
Ah Fu turned to Li Mucheng, but she cut him off.
"Teacher!"
"What is it? Something else?"
Ye Feng glanced back, curious. Her urgency suggested something important.
"I just... wanted to say thank you. For everything. Being your student... it made me so happy!"
"......"
Ye Feng gave a slight nod and walked out, leaving a bewildered Ah Fu and Li Mucheng—her lips curled into a faint smile.
Only when Ye Feng vanished from sight did Ah Fu whirl around, frantic.
"Young mistress, you scared me half to death! Why’d you come here without telling anyone? If something happened to you—"
"Enough, Ah Fu. It’s over. Now... I’m starting fresh."
Li Mucheng pushed aside the blanket and carefully stood, gripping the bedframe.
"I won’t disappoint Teacher again. Never..."
......
Ring ring!
Ring ring!
Ye Feng had just reached his apartment when his phone buzzed. The caller? Xie Yuyan, who’d been waiting far too long.
Guilt pricked him. He’d lost track of time because of Li Mucheng. He quickly answered.
"Hey—"
"Darling, it’s been hours. Did you get lost? Or... did you forget where home is?"
"No, Yuyan, I just got back. Earlier, I—"
"Oh? Back at the apartment but still wandering? That eager to avoid me?"
"Let me explain. The reason I’m late is—"
"Because you were busy getting cozy with Li Mucheng? Even hugging her, hmm?"
The voice didn’t just come from the phone—it echoed behind him.
Ye Feng spun around. Xie Yuyan stood barely a few steps away, phone in hand.
"What’s wrong? You look shocked. Did I interrupt your little reunion?"
"You followed me?"
Ye Feng stared, baffled.
"Oh? Is that a problem? My apologies for inconveniencing you."
"Why? Why would you do this? Trust is the foundation of our relationship!"
"Trust?"
Xie Yuyan smirked, as if he’d told a joke.
"Does your idea of trust involve sneaking off with other women?"
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!
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
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."
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.
