After Ye Feng sat down by Shen Mengli's bedside, Shen Mengli threw her soft, delicate body into his arms like a kitten drawn to catnip.
"Xiao Feng..."
"Ahem... Mengli, can you tell me now? Please explain everything from the beginning."
"Alright. Actually, Xie Yuyan, she—"
Just as Shen Mengli was about to speak, a sudden, urgent knock came from outside the door, followed immediately by Xie Yuyan's voice.
"Mengli? Mengli, are you there?"
"Xie Yuyan?"
Hearing Xie Yuyan's voice, Ye Feng instantly sensed something was off. Though Xie Yuyan had called Shen Mengli's name, her tone was rushed, as if she were trying to confirm something.
And why now, of all times? This was the second time she had shown up just as he visited the welfare home. Could it really be a coincidence?
"X-Xiao Feng..."
Shen Mengli hurriedly pulled herself out of Ye Feng's embrace and, before he could speak, leaned close to his ear and whispered.
"Xiao Feng, please don’t tell Sister Yuyan about what happened today, okay? I’m begging you!"
"But—"
"There’ll be time later. Let’s sort everything out together first, and then we can discuss it, alright?"
"O... okay..."
"Good. Until then, I’ll be waiting here for you. Goodbye for now, Xiao Feng."
"Huh?"
The sudden farewell left Ye Feng unsettled, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why. Before he could figure it out, it was already too late—Xie Yuyan outside the door had grown impatient.
"Mengli, why aren’t you answering me? Did something happen? I’m coming in!"
Click.
Before Xie Yuyan could push the door open, Ye Feng stepped out from inside.
"Meng— Huh? Ye Feng?"
Xie Yuyan didn’t seem overly surprised to see Ye Feng standing there. However, a shadow flickered in her pale blue eyes as she tilted her head curiously and asked,
"Ye Feng, what are you doing here? Didn’t you say you were tutoring Li Mucheng?"
"......"
Ye Feng glanced back at Shen Mengli, who remained silent, then turned to Xie Yuyan, whose expression was one of feigned confusion. He replied calmly,
"Class ended a while ago. I just came to check on Mengli and see how she’s doing. By the way, why are you here?"
Noticing the faint wariness in Ye Feng’s gaze, Xie Yuyan realized Shen Mengli must have told him something. Forcing a smile, she stepped into the room.
"Didn’t you say before that I should find things I enjoy? Well, Mengli and I hit it off, so I thought I’d take some time to bond with her."
"I see..."
Ye Feng nodded thoughtfully, but Shen Mengli’s words had already planted a seed of suspicion in his mind. He needed to verify the truth himself.
"Yuyan, let’s head back for today. I talked to Mengli about leaving the welfare home, but she still hasn’t agreed."
"Alright. Don’t be too upset, Ye Feng. She’ll understand your good intentions someday."
"Yeah..."
Ye Feng responded quietly before turning to wave at Shen Mengli.
"Mengli, I’m leaving with Yuyan now. If you change your mind, just call me, okay?"
Shen Mengli didn’t answer. Instead, she lowered her gaze and made the teddy bear in her arms wave goodbye.
After Xie Yuyan walked out arm-in-arm with Ye Feng, faint footsteps echoed in the hallway. Soon after, the headmistress entered the room.
"Mengli? Are you alright?"
"Headmistress."
Hearing Shen Mengli’s normal voice, the headmistress relaxed slightly. Sitting by the bed, she whispered,
"Ye Feng and that woman have left. If you don’t like her, I can just refuse her entry next time."
"It’s fine, Headmistress. I have my own reasons."
As she spoke, Shen Mengli stood up from the bed and took a few steps around the room.
"How is it? Can you walk without any trouble?"
The headmistress didn’t seem surprised by Shen Mengli’s sudden ability to walk smoothly, as if she had known all along.
"Much better. I just can’t walk for too long yet."
A strange glint flashed in Shen Mengli’s crimson eyes before she turned to the headmistress.
"Headmistress, I’ll need your help from now on..."
"I understand. But Mengli, you must be careful out there on your own, alright?"
"Don’t worry, Headmistress. I’ll take care of myself."
With that, Shen Mengli pulled out her phone and handed it to the headmistress.
"Goodbye, Headmistress. Thank you for everything."
The headmistress’s eyes grew misty as she waved. "Go on, child. Go find your own happiness. This is as far as I can take you. Leave now, before anyone notices."
......
"......"
On the way home, Ye Feng couldn’t stop thinking about Shen Mengli’s farewell. He didn’t understand why she had said goodbye like that. Even if Xie Yuyan had done something behind his back, was it really so terrifying that she couldn’t just tell him outright?
Then again, he shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Xie Yuyan had always been gentle and kind in front of him—nothing like the frightening figure Shen Mengli seemed to see. Besides, he and Xie Yuyan were in a relationship now. Shouldn’t he be focusing more on her?
"Ye Feng, what’s wrong? You’ve been distracted the whole way back. Did something happen?"
Xie Yuyan bent down slightly, blinking her beautiful eyes at him with concern.
"I’m fine, Yuyan. It’s just... Mengli told me some things, and now my mind’s a mess."
"Oh? Can I ask what she told you?"
Xie Yuyan clenched her teeth but maintained her gentle demeanor, even soothingly rubbing Ye Feng’s back to calm him.
"Mengli said..."
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!" "......"
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.
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!
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?"
