When Shen Mengli stepped out of the bathroom, Ye Feng was still in the kitchen, cooking.
"Hmm?"
Noticing movement behind him, Ye Feng didn’t turn around, keeping his focus entirely on the stir-fry sizzling in the pan.
"Mengli, you’re done washing up? Go dry your hair quickly—dinner’s almost ready."
"......"
Shen Mengli didn’t respond, which Ye Feng took as silent agreement, so he didn’t pay her any further mind.
Just as he was finishing the last dish, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist.
"Eh? Meng... Mengli? Did you dry your hair?"
Ye Feng freed one hand to gently pat the back of Shen Mengli’s hand, signaling her to go take care of her own business. But this time, she seemed unusually defiant, not even answering him.
Was she upset because he’d been too indifferent earlier?
As Ye Feng hurried to finish the dish so he could explain himself, Shen Mengli suddenly moved. She slipped around his arm and pressed herself against his chest, then tilted her head up to gaze at him intently.
Her long silver hair still glistened with droplets of water, like a freshly bloomed lotus—radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.
"Mengli?"
With Shen Mengli blocking his view, Ye Feng momentarily forgot what he was doing. He stared at her, swallowing hard.
"Xiao Feng."
Only when she sensed his full attention did Shen Mengli finally murmur softly.
"What’s wrong, Mengli? I’m here."
"I... I really... really like you."
"Eh?"
Ye Feng had expected her to voice some complaint, but instead, she confessed her feelings so earnestly.
"Uh... Mengli, are you... okay?"
"Of course I’m okay. I just... just want you by my side."
"I’ll always be by your side. But if you’re fine, could you please go dry your hair first? You might catch a cold otherwise."
"No~ I just want to hug you."
Faced with her coquettishness, Ye Feng couldn’t resist. He turned off the stove—just before the dish burned—and took her hand, leading her back to the room.
"Hehe, Xiao Feng is the best~"
"Alright, alright, I’m the absolute best."
"Whirr—"
As the warm air from the hairdryer hummed to life, Shen Mengli closed her eyes, basking in Ye Feng’s care.
"Mengli, be honest with me—did something happen?"
While meticulously drying her hair, Ye Feng probed gently.
"Something happen? N-no, not at all."
Shen Mengli tilted her head in confusion, her bright eyes blinking up at him.
"Then why do you seem so... dazed today? Like something’s on your mind."
"Mm..."
Instead of answering, Shen Mengli suddenly sprang up from the bed. The abrupt movement startled Ye Feng, causing the hairdryer to slip from his grip and land on the sheets. Just as he reached to steady her, she cupped his face in her hands, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his.
"Mmph... mwah..."
Ye Feng’s eyes widened in surprise, but he soon wrapped his arms around her waist, returning her affection with quiet tenderness.
Though he didn’t understand why Shen Mengli was acting this way, he cradled her carefully, gently patting her back to soothe her fervor.
"Nngh... mm..."
"Hah... haa..."
"Xiao... Xiao Feng..."
The hairdryer continued to whirr on the bed, but Shen Mengli’s restless heart gradually calmed in the warmth of their embrace.
"Mmm~"
Only when she pulled away did Ye Feng pick up the hairdryer again, resuming his task.
"Xiao... Xiao Feng..."
Her cheeks flushed, Shen Mengli stole a glance at him, calling his name softly once she confirmed he wasn’t upset.
"Finally willing to settle down?"
Ye Feng pinched her cheek playfully, then booped her nose.
"Mm... I don’t know why I acted like that. I just suddenly wanted to be close to you."
"Oh? So now you’re not even bothering with excuses?"
Though his words sounded teasing, his eyes brimmed with nothing but adoration.
"It’s okay. If you ever need to vent your emotions, that’s fine. But don’t hide any troubles or negative feelings from me, alright? Otherwise, I’ll get mad."
"Don’t worry, Xiao Feng! I... I won’t do that."
Satisfied with her earnest expression, Ye Feng said no more. After ensuring her hair was fully dry, he put the hairdryer away.
"Then it’s settled. Let’s go eat."
As he turned to leave, Shen Mengli grabbed his wrist. Her once-tender gaze turned serious, her voice low.
"Xiao Feng, did you forget something?"
"Forget something...?"
Ye Feng repeated her words, racking his brain for any promises he might’ve made. But his memory failed him. As her eyes grew more intense, he gave up and asked outright.
"Mengli, what exactly are you talking about? I don’t think I..."
"Did you forget what you just said?"
"......"
The hint gave him pause. After a beat, he raised a brow.
"You mean... wanting to be close to me?"
"No! Next guess!"
Shen Mengli’s brows furrowed, her displeasure clear. If he kept guessing wrong, she might just pounce like an irate kitten.
"Uh... then, was it about hiding things from each other?"
"Bingo."

agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)

+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!

ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...

d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!