"Complete the illustrated guide? The Shadow?"
Facing the system panel brimming with overwhelming information, Ye Feng blinked in disbelief.
How could he have imagined that the so-called "Shadow" would turn out to be Shen Mengli?
Whether it was the Bloody Rose or the Black Morning Glory, both bore similarities to Xie Yuyan and Li Mucheng's personalities. But when it came to Shen Mengli, Ye Feng was utterly baffled.
How could someone as adorable and gentle as Shen Mengli be the so-called Shadow?
Yet when Ye Feng recalled the moment their eyes met in the bathroom, he had distinctly noticed Shen Mengli's gaze turning eerily unsettling—like someone lurking in the shadows, silently watching him with a deranged, almost manic expression.
The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Worried that dwelling on it might darken his mood, he quickly pushed the idea aside.
"Right... Who cares about Shadows or not? Mengli will always be Mengli. Why should I fuss over labels now? The road ahead is smooth and wide."
Just as Ye Feng was about to close the illustrated guide for good, the panel suddenly displayed a system reward notification.
"Huh?! What's this...?"
Frowning, Ye Feng took a closer look. Sure enough, it was a mission reward from the system. He hadn’t expected to receive anything after all this time. Then again, his life now hardly needed so-called "survival tools"...
But having something was better than nothing. With that in mind, Ye Feng promptly claimed the reward. Who knew? Maybe it included something like extended lifespan.
"Ding."
A system chime echoed in his mind as the reward was delivered. Before he could even check what it contained, a pair of small hands slowly crept up his abdomen.
"?! Mengli?"
Ye Feng gently covered Shen Mengli’s hand with his own. Even now, he could feel the lingering droplets of water on her skin, dampening his back.
"Xiao Feng..."
Shen Mengli buried her face against his back, her whisper floating softly in the room.
"Now... let’s focus on the real matter at hand. Please give me all your attention, okay?"
"Okay."
Ye Feng patted her hand lightly, seizing the moment to turn around and pull her into his embrace.
"But Mengli, could you wait just a bit? I just got a system notification and wanted to check—"
Before he could finish, Shen Mengli cut him off.
"No! Is everything alright? Did it threaten you?!"
"Uh..."
Seeing the panic in her eyes—as if she might lose her beloved at any second—Ye Feng smiled tenderly and stroked her silky hair.
"Well... the system did give me a pretty serious task."
"What task?!"
Shen Mengli gripped his hand tightly, her voice trembling with urgency.
"I’ll stay with you, Xiao Feng. Always. We’ll face everything together!"
"Mengli..."
Ye Feng took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before speaking.
"The system’s task is... to make sure you live happily."
"......"
The moment those words left his lips, Shen Mengli fell silent, her earlier tension vanishing.
"Xiao Feng... you’re teasing me again."
Hearing this, she knew he was just being playful.
"Heh, I just wanted to see you smile."
"I’m not smiling!"
Shen Mengli buried herself in his chest, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
"Sorry, Mengli... I..."
"Promise me you won’t joke like this again, okay?"
"Okay..."
"Mm."
Gazing at the girl who loved him more than anything, Ye Feng couldn’t resist lowering his head into the crook of her neck.
"Mengli, I love you."
"Mmm... even if you say that, I still..."
"I love you so, so much."
"......"
After what felt like an eternity, a muffled voice finally rose from his embrace.
"You’re awful~"
......
After carrying Shen Mengli to bed, she clung to him relentlessly. Only when everything settled did she bring up the system again.
"Don’t worry, Mengli. There’s really no scary task."
"Then why did you mention the system all of a sudden?"
Girls’ intuition was frighteningly accurate. Ye Feng saw no reason to hide it—it wasn’t dangerous anyway—so he explained the reward. Of course, he omitted any mention of Shen Mengli being the "Shadow." He didn’t want her worrying over something trivial. Life was perfect as it was.
"Reward? Like those miraculous pills from before?"
"Yep."
Ye Feng pinched her cheek affectionately, unable to resist. Her skin was soft and smooth, like flawless jade.
"Mmm?"
His touch was like a cool stream on a scorching day, soothing her heart and filling her with warmth.
"But..."
"But what?"
"I feel like the system’s rewards are kinda pointless now..."
"Pointless? Why?"
"Because everyone gets along now. The rewards used to be about survival..."
"You’re wrong, Xiao Feng. If there really are miraculous pills, we can use them as safeguards. Having a few tricks up your sleeve is never a bad thing."
"True. My Mengli is always so wise."
"Ngh..."
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."
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!
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!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
