"You must be thirsty, Xiaofeng? I'll go get you something to eat right now."
"......"
At this moment, Shen Mengli was so flustered that she could barely string her words together. Seeing this, Ye Feng reached out and gently held her back, preventing her from fleeing the scene.
"It's alright, Mengli. Embarrassing moments happen to everyone. You'll get used to it after a few more."
"I don’t want to embarrass myself like that in front of you, Xiaofeng!!"
Realizing escape was futile, Shen Mengli slumped back into her wheelchair, closing her eyes and muttering to herself in resignation.
"It's over... Everything is over now, my life, my future... all of it..."
"Is it really that bad?"
Ye Feng tapped her forehead lightly, amused yet surprised by how dramatic her inner monologue could be.
"Alright, Mengli, enough joking around. We need to have a serious talk about what you just said."
"Mmm..."
Shen Mengli opened her beautiful eyes, her expression conflicted as she lowered her head, resigned to the inevitable.
"Can... can I not talk about it?"
"What do you think?"
Ye Feng stood up from the pavilion bench, carefully steadying the wheelchair behind her as he asked,
"Mengli, do you want to chat while I push you, or would you prefer to walk and talk?"
"W-Walking..."
"Got it."
With Ye Feng’s support, Shen Mengli slowly rose from the wheelchair. Thanks to her persistent rehabilitation, she stood up much faster than before.
"Do you need me to hold you?"
"Yes. I can take a step or two on my own, but without support, I’ll fall."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, betraying no embarrassment—she knew her body’s limits all too well.
"Alright, then hold onto my arm. Tell me if you get tired, okay?"
"I will."
Shen Mengli glanced at the unease in Ye Feng’s eyes and sensed something must have happened to unsettle him.
"Ask me anything, Xiaofeng. I’ll tell you what I can."
"Okay..."
And so, the two began a slow stroll through the welfare center’s garden.
"Mengli, first, explain why you still think you’re a burden to me. I’ve told you countless times you’re not, yet you keep believing it."
"Well..."
She bit her lip, her furrowed brows betraying her hesitation.
"Don’t worry, Mengli. I know you might have reservations, but trust me, alright? If you don’t speak up, nothing will change. It takes courage to break free."
"Because... because all of this..."
Mid-sentence, Shen Mengli suddenly shuddered, burying her face in Ye Feng’s chest like a frightened ostrich.
"Mengli?!"
Before he could comfort her, he felt her trembling violently in his arms. He tried stroking her hair gently to soothe her, but she only shook her head, murmuring incoherently.
"I don’t... I don’t want to die... I don’t want to disappear from your life... No!"
"Mengli! Snap out of it!"
Ye Feng gripped her shoulders, shaking her lightly. If she didn’t calm down soon, she’d spiral into full-blown panic.
"X-Xiaofeng... please... h-hold me..."
Without hesitation, Ye Feng wrapped his arms tightly around her. Only when his hands settled around her slender waist did her trembling gradually subside.
Despite her long stay at the welfare center, Shen Mengli still carried a faint, delicate fragrance. The scent relaxed Ye Feng, and he let his mind go blank, simply holding her in silence.
"Mmm..."
Nestled against him, Shen Mengli breathed in his familiar scent, her expression softening into tranquility—even with a hint of longing.
"Xiaofeng."
Her voice snapped him back to reality, and he quickly loosened his embrace.
"Mengli? Feeling better?"
"Yes, thanks to you."
Instead of pulling away, she leaned into his chest, smiling faintly.
"Sorry, Xiaofeng. You had to see me like that again."
"Never mind that. Tell me—what were you so afraid of? Did someone threaten you?"
"It’s..."
She gnawed her lip, hesitating, then glanced warily toward the welfare center’s outer wall before rising on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
"Actually... I’m scared of Sister Yuyan."
"Wha—"
Ye Feng nearly blurted out his shock but caught himself. Her cautious demeanor suggested she was wary of being overheard. Could "Yu Yan" really be Xie Yuyan? But they’d only just met—how could...
He cut off his own thoughts and abruptly scooped Shen Mengli into his arms. The sudden motion startled her, and she instinctively clutched his shirt.
"Wh-what’s wrong, Xiaofeng? Why are you carrying me—"
"Not here. Let’s go to your room first, okay?"
He kept his voice low, urgency lacing his words. This was critical—his life and future depended on it.
"O-okay."
Shen Mengli nodded obediently, pressing her face against his chest again as if hiding from an unseen threat.
In no time, Ye Feng carried her back to her room. After carefully settling her onto the bed, he turned to fetch a chair—only for her to seize him from behind in a tight embrace.
"Mengli?"
"J-just stay like this, okay? I only feel safe when you’re close."
"Is that so..."
Ye Feng couldn’t fathom what had traumatized her so deeply, but his suspicion toward Xie Yuyan grew.
Could it really be as Mengli said? Has Xie Yuyan been scheming behind my back?
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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!
