Just as Shen Mengli arrived at Li Mucheng's door and was about to raise her hand to knock, Li Mucheng, as if already aware of her presence, opened the door. The unexpected move left Shen Mengli momentarily stunned, frozen in place until Li Mucheng reached out, pulled her inside, and closed the door behind them.
"Mu... Mucheng?"
As soon as she entered, Shen Mengli withdrew her hand from Li Mucheng's grasp, puzzled by her actions while glancing around the room.
Though the layout of each room was identical, Li Mucheng's space was strikingly simple—devoid of excessive decor, save for a faint scent of incense lingering in the air. After a brief survey, Shen Mengli averted her gaze.
"So, Mucheng... did you want to talk to me about something?"
Seeing the confusion on Shen Mengli's face, Li Mucheng voiced her thoughts.
"Mengli, this is for you."
Slowly, Li Mucheng retrieved a key from behind her and placed it in Shen Mengli's palm.
"This is... a key?!"
Upon realizing what she held, Shen Mengli's bewilderment only deepened.
"Mucheng, what does this mean? Why are you giving me a key?"
"This key leads to the teacher's room~"
Li Mucheng answered nonchalantly.
"Wh-what?! The key to Xiaofeng's room..."
Shen Mengli trailed off, finally understanding why Li Mucheng had sought her out. Yet, she still couldn't fathom why Li Mucheng would entrust her with it.
Seemingly sensing her confusion, Li Mucheng explained softly, "I'm giving you the key to the teacher's room because you're very important to all of us."
"I'm important to you?"
"Yes. If you hadn't accepted things back then, our relationship with the teacher might not be as good as it is now. And we’ve all seen how much the teacher cares for you. You're the only one who’s never hurt him..."
At this, Li Mucheng lowered her head in shame, as if the memory of that incident still haunted her like a thorn in her heart.
"Honestly... I was just lucky."
Shen Mengli clenched the key in her hand, reflecting on the ability she once possessed—the very thing that had drawn her closer to Ye Feng.
"You're too modest, Mengli. Now that we’re all living together, I’ve come to accept this life. So I hope... you can let go of your burdens too. Let’s work together for the teacher’s sake... okay?"
Meeting Li Mucheng's gentle gaze, Shen Mengli hesitated before nodding slowly.
"Now I understand why you were the first to accept all this, Mucheng. You’ve truly... embraced it."
"Mhm. But my love for the teacher hasn’t diminished one bit."
"I know..."
Shen Mengli took a deep breath, tightening her grip on the key.
"Thank you, Mucheng. I won’t disturb you any longer."
"Just for today, okay? This is... our shared compromise."
"Alright..."
As Shen Mengli quietly slipped out of the room, Li Mucheng's smile gradually faded. Only when the faint sound of footsteps upstairs disappeared did she prepare to close her door—until Xie Yuyan’s door across the hall swung open, revealing her graceful figure leaning against the frame.
Xie Yuyan, as if privy to everything, cut straight to the point: "Mengli went up?"
"Yes."
"How nice..."
"......"
......
"Hah..."
Meanwhile, Ye Feng, lost in slumber, was immersed in a hazy dream. One moment, he was admiring a breathtaking landscape; the next, he found himself in a scorching desert. The heat grew unbearable, sapping his strength until he collapsed, slowly buried beneath the endless dunes, swallowed by the desert’s silence.
"Haah! Haah! Haah!"
He jolted awake, gasping for air, his chest still heavy. As he tried to throw off the covers and get water, his body refused to move—as if pinned down by some unseen force.
What’s happening?! Why can’t I move?!
Panicked, Ye Feng yanked the sheets away, only to discover the source of his discomfort.
Shen Mengli lay atop him, her affectionate gaze locked onto his, her delicate form pressed tightly against him, her sweet fragrance filling his senses.
"Men... Mengli?! How did you—"
"Shh~"
She pressed a finger to his lips, whispering,
"Xiaofeng, keep your voice down. I snuck in here with great difficulty."
"Snuck in? But I’m sure I locked—"
Before he could finish, Shen Mengli dangled the key in front of his eyes.
"A key?! But how do you have a key to my room?!"
"Because... I’ve earned it~"
Without another word, Shen Mengli pounced on him like a starved wolf, sealing his lips with hers.
"Mmph... mmm..."
"Mmm... slurp..."
"Hah... hah... nngh..."
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!
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."
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
