Increasingly Stringy

"Seeeeeee~ sooooo~!"

Shen Mengli sat in front of Ye Feng, staring at him intently while wearing only a thin nightgown, her lips pouting slightly.

"You have to tell me every single detail about the reward the system gave you!"

"Alright, alright. But Mengli, get under the blankets first. The temperature drops at night—you’ll catch a cold."

Ye Feng quickly stretched out his arm and pulled Shen Mengli back into his embrace. She didn’t resist, nestling contentedly against his chest.

"Wait, let me check first..."

As Ye Feng gradually relaxed his focus, his attention shifted to the system panel in his mind.

Upon opening the reward sent by the system, the first thing that caught his eye was their old friend—lifespan time.

Of course, it’s this again...

Seeing the meager amount of time granted by the system, Ye Feng quickly moved past it and turned his attention to the next reward.

But the moment he saw the second reward, his entire body froze as if he had stumbled upon something extraordinary.

Shen Mengli, who had been watching him closely, immediately noticed the change and softly called his name.

"Feng... Feng? Are you okay?"

"......"

Her only response was silence, which only deepened her concern. Even when Ye Feng was usually lost in the system, he would still react to her voice.

"Feng! Feng, wake up!"

She shook his shoulders repeatedly, trying to snap him out of it through sheer physical force, but to no avail.

After several failed attempts, Shen Mengli was about to leave the room to seek help when a large hand suddenly rested on top of her head.

"!!!"

Her body trembled slightly before she immediately turned to look at Ye Feng. Sure enough, his attention had returned to reality.

"Feng... are you alright?" she murmured.

"I’m fine, Mengli. Sorry for worrying you."

Ye Feng tightened his embrace around her and took a deep breath.

"The reason I was so shocked is because the reward the system gave me this time is... a little different from usual."

"What is it?"

"Uh... well..."

Seeing him hesitate, Shen Mengli’s curiosity only grew stronger.

"Feng, just tell me the secret~"

Her sweet, coquettish voice whispered in his ear, and after an internal struggle, Ye Feng finally nodded.

"It’s nothing too crazy. It’s just... something related to you."

"Me... us? Related to us?"

His vague answer only fueled her curiosity further. After all, every item Ye Feng had produced so far had been nothing short of miraculous.

"Yeah... it’s this."

With that, a small white pill materialized in Ye Feng’s hand, instantly capturing Shen Mengli’s attention.

"A pill? What does it do?"

"Well..."

After a brief pause, Ye Feng explained.

"This pill can temporarily boost endurance and greatly improve physical health. But it has a side effect."

"A side effect? What kind?"

"It... um... amplifies desires."

"......"

That’s the side effect?

Just as Shen Mengli reached out to take the pill for a closer look, it suddenly vanished from Ye Feng’s palm—clearly, he had withdrawn it.

A flicker of disappointment crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself.

"So... besides this little miracle pill, is there anything else?"

"There is, but this one’s more personal to me."

Ye Feng then produced a crimson rose from his hand.

"Huh? What’s this...?"

"It’s called a Lucky Rose. If I crush it, I’ll gain a massive charm boost for a short time. But honestly, I don’t see much use for it."

"......"

A long silence followed. If not for the fact that Shen Mengli was still staring intently at him, Ye Feng would have thought she’d fallen asleep.

"Men—"

Before he could finish, Shen Mengli cut him off.

"I want to see."

"Huh?"

"I want to see it!"

She clenched her fists, her bright eyes locked onto him without blinking.

"O-okay, fine."

Under the pressure of her gaze, Ye Feng finally activated the rose’s effect.

It’s just a charm-boosting rose—what could go wrong?

As he used the item, the rose in his hand gradually shattered into fragments before disappearing completely.

"That’s... it?"

Ye Feng flexed his fingers, feeling no different, then glanced at Shen Mengli.

"Mengli, do I look any different? I don’t feel a thing."

"......"

"Mengli?"

Her eyes were vacant, as if she had turned to stone. Ye Feng waved a hand in front of her face, but she remained motionless, her crimson gaze still fixed on him.

What’s wrong with her? Why isn’t she reacting?

Wait a minute...

Suddenly, Ye Feng noticed something unusual.

Why does her stare feel... increasingly intense?!