"Ah~"
After taking another spoonful of porridge from Ye Feng, Shen Mengli happily threw herself into his arms. Fortunately, Ye Feng was prepared and managed to keep the bowl steady, preventing any spills.
Yet, he didn’t scold her for it. Instead, he gently tapped her forehead and said in a soft voice, "Mengli, be more careful next time, alright?"
"Mm! I’m just so happy. No matter what we’re doing, as long as I’m with Xiao Feng, everything feels wonderful."
"Alright, there’s only a little left in the bowl. Finish it quickly."
"Okay~"
Taking the bowl from Ye Feng, Shen Mengli quickly polished off the remaining porridge. Just as Ye Feng was about to take the bowl to the kitchen to wash it, she unexpectedly set it aside on the bedside table. Before he could ask what she was doing, he felt the soft press of lips against his cheek.
"Mengli?"
"This is my way of thanking you for taking care of me~"
Shen Mengli said it without a hint of embarrassment, as if this gesture was entirely natural for her.
"Who thanks someone like this? Anyway, hand me the bowl. You should rest properly in the room."
"No~"
She wrapped her arms around Ye Feng’s and tried pulling him toward her bed, though her strength was no match for his. In the end, Ye Feng chose to sit by the bed, curious about what mischief she was up to.
Seeing him seated, Shen Mengli immediately snuggled up to him, pressing herself against his chest as she whispered, "Xiao Feng, can I just hold you like this? Just for a little while."
Her quiet plea made Ye Feng wonder if she was feeling unwell—until he noticed the faint weariness in her eyes. Only then did he realize how exhausted she must be, having spent days caring for him without proper rest. It was only now that she could no longer hide her fatigue.
Mengli...
Ye Feng gently raised his hand, stroking her silky hair as countless emotions swirled in his heart.
From the moment you saved me until now, you’ve endured so much, haven’t you? Both mentally and physically, you pushed through it all, tending to me with such devotion. And even now, you refuse to show me your weakest side... Why go to such lengths?
"Xiao Feng’s palm is so warm..."
Enjoying his touch, Shen Mengli nestled deeper into his embrace, eyes closed, until she found a comfortable position. Within moments, her breathing steadied into the quiet rhythm of sleep.
"Mengli, you’ve worked hard."
Murmuring softly, Ye Feng carefully lifted her and laid her down on the bed. As he did, his hand accidentally brushed against the bowl on the bedside table, but his quick reflexes saved it from crashing to the floor—sparing her from being startled awake.
"Phew..."
Just as he sighed in relief, a delicate hand suddenly clutched his collar.
"!!!"
Did Mengli wake up?!
Startled, Ye Feng set the bowl down and turned to find Shen Mengli staring straight at him, her eyes wide open.
"Sorry, Mengli... Did I wake you?"
"No."
She shook her head slightly, her lips parting as if to say something—but her voice was barely audible.
"What was that, Mengli?"
Leaning closer, Ye Feng brought his ear near her lips.
"I... I want to sleep while holding Xiao Feng... Is that okay?"
Only after hearing her whisper did he lift his head to see Shen Mengli’s flushed face, her blush betraying the depth of her affection.
"Alright... But there’s only one blanket here. Are you sure that’s fine?"
"It’s not like we haven’t slept together before. This is just like how things used to be—returning to the way we lived then."
Her crimson eyes shimmered like blooming spider lilies, radiant and captivating, dissolving the walls Ye Feng had tried so hard to maintain.
When he remained silent, Shen Mengli seized the opportunity, tugging his wrist to pull him closer. Her sweet, drowsy voice sent shivers through him, electrifying every nerve in his body.
"Xiao Feng... I’m so tired..."
"...I understand."
Finally surrendering, Ye Feng gently pressed her shoulders down onto the bed. After a long pause, he spoke again.
"Get some rest, Mengli."
"Okay~"
With arms outstretched and an expectant gaze, she lifted the blanket slightly, her tender eyes silently inviting him in.
Gulp...
Ye Feng quickly shook off his wandering thoughts, carefully lying down beside her while keeping a cautious distance—anything to keep his composure intact.
But Shen Mengli wasn’t one to give up so easily. The moment she felt him settle beside her, she immediately buried herself against his chest, her feverish cheek radiating warmth against him.
Just as I expected...
True to his predictions, she clung to him without hesitation.
"Xiao Feng, you’re so warm."
"Alright, go to sleep now."
"Mm."
As Shen Mengli closed her eyes, Ye Feng exhaled in relief. If this was all she wanted—just to hold him—then it was manageable. What puzzled him was how effortlessly she affected him. Unlike Xie Yuyan, who relied on overt charm, Shen Mengli needed nothing more than those mesmerizing eyes of hers to unsettle him.
"Mmm..."
Hearing her soft sigh, Ye Feng glanced down to find her already asleep. He considered slipping away quietly, but her arms were locked around his, leaving him no choice but to stay and watch her peaceful expression.
Her silver hair cascaded over her face, partially covering her eyes, while her fair neck—tinged with a delicate pink—resembled flawless jade, tempting him to take a playful bite.
Ugh, what am I thinking?!
Shaking his head, he forcefully dismissed the inappropriate thoughts. Outside the wooden cabin, the mountain wind howled, and in the embrace of that tranquility, Ye Feng, too, drifted into slumber...
This kind of life... really is wonderful.
......
"So, this is how you and Ye Feng first met?"
Listening to Li Mucheng recount the beautiful days she spent with Ye Feng at the estate, Xie Yuyan’s eyes flickered with longing—though she quickly suppressed it.
"It sounds lovely. By the timeline, you were the first one to meet Ye Feng, right?"
"Yes."
Li Mucheng nodded, a smile blooming as the memories resurfaced.
"Back then, the time I spent with my teacher... was the happiest period of my entire life."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ose... to cooperate with the protagonist! Shen Yuan: I have a system! Protagonist: What? System: Holy crap, you're just spilling it out like that? Shen Yuan: Let's team up, we'll split the system rewards! Protagonist: Fifty-fifty split? Shen Yuan: No way! Protagonist: What!? I'm the one getting beaten up, and I don't get half? Shen Yuan: Forty-sixty split, I get forty, you get sixty! Protagonist: Deal! Big brother, come on, hit me! As long as it doesn't kill me, beat me like you mean it! Shen Yuan: Don't worry... I will definitely protect all of you! No one but me can lay a finger on you! Guard our Heaven's Chosen Ones! I'm the only one allowed to bully them!
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
