"What!?"
Even the usually composed and prepared Xie Yuyan was stunned by Ye Feng's words.
"Ye... Ye Feng, what did you just say? 'No longer exist'? How is that possible!"
"It's true, Xie Yuyan. I’m not lying to you. At this point, do I even have any reason to deceive you?"
Ye Feng seemed to have anticipated their reactions, as their expressions mirrored Shen Mengli's earlier response.
"No, Ye Feng, I don’t think you’re lying. I just feel like this... this 'no longer existing' thing is so unfair..."
"Unfair?"
Ye Feng hadn’t expected Xie Yuyan’s first thought to go there, but he could only smile wryly.
"Since when has the world ever been fair?"
"Teacher... why are you being forced to do something you don’t want to do? Is there any way to get rid of it?"
Li Mucheng looked at Ye Feng with visible concern, her emotions laid bare—unlike Xie Yuyan, who kept hers restrained.
"Of course, there’s no way. If I could break free from it, I would’ve done so long ago. But..."
"But?"
"Ah... never mind."
Ye Feng suddenly recalled the system’s reward: if all the girls' affection for him reached 100%, the time limit on his life would be lifted entirely.
But now, he had resolved not to treat these girls as mere mission objectives anymore. He wouldn’t complete this so-called task. What he wanted was freedom—to live without regrets.
"Alright, do any of you have other questions?"
"......"
Seeing that Ye Feng didn’t want to elaborate, Li Mucheng didn’t press further. She quietly tucked the matter away, planning to discuss it with the others later when Ye Feng wasn’t around.
"Ye Feng, if we listen to you... will you come back?"
Just as the atmosphere grew heavy, Su Yuxin spoke up. Her lips trembled slightly as she gazed at Ye Feng with hopeful eyes, as if her pitiful expression might sway his heart.
"If I do return, it’ll only be for a short while. Living in the mountains isn’t good for Mengli’s health."
"Xiao... Feng?"
Shen Mengli, nestled in Ye Feng’s arms, had initially thought he was reconciling with the other three. Just as her heart began to sink, she hadn’t expected him to suddenly mention her. Overwhelmed with joy, her love for him deepened even further. Without hesitation, she kissed him again—right in front of the others.
But before she could, Ye Feng gently placed his hand on her head, stopping her.
"If it weren’t for Mengli, I probably wouldn’t even be alive right now. Even if I had survived, without her guidance, I’d never have escaped the darkness. So, to me, Mengli is the most important person."
The... most important person!
Hearing Ye Feng’s blunt declaration, Shen Mengli’s earlier worries vanished instantly. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
Xiao Feng just called me his most important person... and he said it in front of everyone! I... I’m so happy...
Though her heart was racing, for the other three, his words were nothing short of devastating. Who could bear hearing the person they loved openly prioritize someone else?
Yet they knew this was the consequence of their own actions. The boomerang they’d thrown had finally come back to strike them.
"Then... Ye Feng, will you at least stay here for a while longer?"
Su Yuxin stammered, her voice noticeably weaker. His earlier words had made it clear where his heart truly lay.
"Mm, I still need to discuss things with Mengli over the next few days. We can talk more tomorrow, alright?"
"O... okay, Ye Feng. Please take care of yourself, alright?"
"Don’t worry, Yuxin. Thanks for your concern."
"O... okay. I’ll... I’ll go outside for a bit. I want to see the scenery."
As she spoke, Su Yuxin’s eyes welled up with tears. Unable to endure the pain any longer, she stood up and rushed out of the cabin.
"Yuxin! Sorry, Teacher, I need to go after her."
Li Mucheng wanted to stop Su Yuxin, but she moved too quickly. Left with no choice, Li Mucheng excused herself and hurried out after her, leaving Xie Yuyan alone in the cabin.
"Ye Feng..."
"Yeah."
"Can... can we ever go back to how things were before? Without you, I’ve never even stepped foot in that house. If you make your decision tomorrow... I’ll keep a room ready for you."
"Xie Yuyan, I appreciate your kindness. But let’s leave all decisions for tomorrow, alright? My mind’s a mess right now."
"Is it because of the secret?"
"Mm."
"Alright... I won’t disturb you any further. But before I go, could I speak with Shen Mengli for a moment?"
"With Mengli?"
Ye Feng lowered his head, casting a questioning glance at Shen Mengli. To his surprise, she didn’t resist. Instead, she agreed readily.
"Sure."
"Mengli, are you really okay with this?"
"It’s fine, Xiao Feng. I believe Yuyan-jie just wants to talk. You can leave us alone for now."
"Alright... Mengli, call me if you need anything. I’ll go check on Mucheng and the others."
"Mm, go ahead."
Shen Mengli gave him a reassuring look. Only after Ye Feng left did her smile fade. She turned to Xie Yuyan, her expression cold.
"Speak. What do you want now?"
"Shen Mengli, you’ve misunderstood me. The way I am now—"
"Don’t forget what you did to me at the orphanage."
Shen Mengli cut her off sharply, her tone icy.
"Do you really think I’d trust someone who almost killed me?"
"I... I’m sorry..."
"Save your apologies. I don’t want them."
Shen Mengli’s hostility made it impossible for Xie Yuyan to have a proper conversation. But Xie Yuyan knew that, of all of them, Shen Mengli held the most resentment toward her—and she had no one to blame but herself.
"Shen Mengli, let me apologize first. The way I treated you before was too extreme, and I—"
"I said I won’t accept it! Xie Yuyan, don’t waste your breath. I’ll never forgive you. Someone as dangerous as you... I won’t let Xiao Feng near you again. I won’t let him get hurt anymore."
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.
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 school belle recognized by the whole school, a genius girl from the kendo club. She also has a hidden identity, the youngest legendary demon hunter. Chen Shuo just transmigrated and found himself turned into a weak, helpless little vampire. He was caught by Su Xiyen and taken home at the very beginning. Since then, Chen Shuo's life creed only had two items. "First, classmate Su Xiyen is always right." "Second, if classmate Su Xiyen is wrong, please refer back to item one." Many years later, Chen Shuo, who had turned back into a human, led a pair of twins to appear in front of all the vampires to share the secret of how he turned back into a human. "It's simple, I tricked a female demon hunter into becoming my wife!"
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."
