"Knock, knock, knock..."
When Li Mucheng awoke once more in the dimly lit room, the sound of soft knocking had already reached her ears.
"......"
Her vacant, lifeless eyes turned briefly toward the door before shifting away, as though she had no reaction to any disturbance.
"Mucheng."
To her surprise, Su Yuxin's voice came from outside the door. Li Mucheng's gaze flickered faintly, but the light in her eyes quickly dimmed again.
Hearing no response from inside, Su Yuxin clenched her fists and turned to Ah Fu behind her. "Open the door for me."
Ah Fu hesitated, his tone apologetic. "Forgive me, Miss Su, but without the master or the young lady's permission, I cannot obey your orders."
"You're still following orders at a time like this? Can't you see Mucheng's health is deteriorating day by day?"
Su Yuxin glared at him, displeased. When he remained unmoved, she reached into her pocket for her phone, intending to call Li Jing—but just then, the bedroom door suddenly swung open.
At the sound, Su Yuxin quickly turned back to face Li Mucheng. The woman before her was a far cry from the elegant, ethereal beauty she once knew.
Li Mucheng's clothes were disheveled, still the same outfit she had worn on the mountain that day. Her once fair skin was smudged with dried mud, and her soft, silky hair had become tangled and brittle.
"Mucheng... What happened to you?"
Su Yuxin stared in shock at the unrecognizable figure before her, disbelief written across her face.
"Yuxin, just go back. I’ll take responsibility for what happened to Teacher. There’s no need for you to come see me anymore."
Li Mucheng uttered these words calmly before turning to retreat into the bedroom. Just as she was about to close the door again, Su Yuxin suddenly wedged her foot in the doorway.
Noticing the action, Li Mucheng frowned slightly. Though she didn’t know the purpose of Su Yuxin’s visit, she knew it must be closely tied to Ye Feng. In the past, she might have been able to match wits with Su Yuxin, but now—she had indirectly become the one who caused Ye Feng’s death. How could she possibly remain composed? Ever since returning from the mountain, she had been drowning in regret and grief. She had promised to protect him, yet in the end, she had been the one to hurt him the most—just like before.
"Move your—"
Before Li Mucheng could finish, Su Yuxin cut her off. "Mucheng, let’s talk, okay?"
"Talk? What is there to say to a murderer like me? You all saw it with your own eyes—I’m the one who killed Teacher!"
Her eyes reddened instantly as she shouted, her usually composed demeanor shattering as she vented the darkness in her heart, as though self-condemnation was the only way to ease her pain.
"No—that’s not true, Mucheng!"
Faced with her agitation, Su Yuxin stepped forward, wanting to take Li Mucheng’s hand to calm her—but in an instant, Li Mucheng pulled out a fruit knife and pressed it against her own chest.
"Mucheng! What are you doing?!"
Su Yuxin froze in place, stunned by the extreme act. To avoid provoking her further, she maintained a safe distance.
"This... is just my atonement."
Li Mucheng tilted her head and let out a bitter, self-mocking laugh. In her heart, it seemed that only death could absolve her guilt. As the blade inched closer to her heart, Su Yuxin urgently called out to stop her.
"Li Mucheng, have you lost your mind?! If Ye Feng saw you like this, what would he think?!"
"Te... Teacher?"
At the mention of Ye Feng’s name, Li Mucheng’s body trembled, and his face slowly surfaced in her mind.
Seeing that invoking Ye Feng had an effect, Su Yuxin seized the opportunity and pressed on. "Back then, Ye Feng risked everything to save you from those criminals in the manor—all so you wouldn’t come to harm. But if you kill yourself now, do you really think he would forgive you?"
"......"
Li Mucheng fell into deep reflection at Su Yuxin’s words. Ye Feng had rescued her from danger without hesitation. When she had fallen ill with fever, he had dragged her to the hospital. Even when she made mistakes, he had always forgiven her. Everything he had done was out of care and concern for her.
Watching her dazed expression, Su Yuxin seized the moment to stride forward and snatch the knife from Li Mucheng’s hand. Startled, Li Mucheng tried to resist—but Su Yuxin slapped her across the face.
Slap!
The sharp sound echoed through the room. Outside the door, Ah Fu, who had been watching nervously, quietly closed it. The butler behind him whispered, "Should we inform the master?"
Ah Fu shook his head slightly. "This is a matter between the young ladies. They’ll resolve it themselves."
......
As the slap landed, Li Mucheng’s cheek reddened and swelled almost instantly—but the strike also snapped her out of her near-hysterical state.
Su Yuxin pursed her lips, discreetly shaking out her stinging hand when Li Mucheng wasn’t looking.
Hmph! That evens the score.
Suppressing a smug grin, she quickly composed herself. After all, her purpose here wasn’t just to return that slap.
"Mucheng!"
She pressed her lips together, forcing down the slight curve at the corners of her mouth.
"Right now, Ye Feng’s fate is still unknown—and this is the critical time to search for him! If you keep wallowing like this, what if we miss the window to save him?"
"Search?"
Li Mucheng didn’t react angrily to the slap, standing still with her head lowered.
"According to reports from the mountain, they’ve searched the river downstream for an entire day and found no trace of Teacher. With his injuries so severe... do you really think there’s any hope?"
"No—Li Mucheng, you’re the one who gave up hope! If you truly wanted to find Ye Feng, you’d stop at nothing to track him down."
"......"
Her silence spoke volumes—Su Yuxin’s words had struck a chord. Just as she said, after what happened to Ye Feng, Li Mucheng had chosen to shut herself away, waiting passively for the final news.
"Li Mucheng, have you forgotten? The moment Ye Feng fell off that cliff, his eyes were on both of us. Have you forgotten what he said to you? He never blamed you—even as he disappeared, he was still comforting you! Is this how you repay him?"
"No... That’s not it..."
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.
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."
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
