After taking a bite of the tomato and egg dish Xie Yuyan had prepared, Ye Feng's eyes lit up, and he gave her a thumbs-up, praising, "Xie Yuyan, your cooking skills are getting better and better. I never knew you had such a talent!"
"Hehe~"
Xie Yuyan bit the tip of her chopsticks and smiled at Ye Feng.
"I'm glad it suits your taste. I’m just doing small things to help you."
Then, her tone shifted slightly as she narrowed her eyes at Ye Feng. Seeing him focused on eating, she didn’t want to disturb him and eventually put down her chopsticks, quietly waiting for him to finish.
"Huh? Xie Yuyan, why are you staring at me like that?"
Ye Feng asked, puzzled, after swallowing a mouthful of food and noticing Xie Yuyan’s gaze.
"Ye Feng, is there something you haven’t told me yet?"
"Ah, are you talking about why I came back late today?"
"What else?"
Xie Yuyan’s sultry voice was like a seductive melody, one that could easily captivate someone with weaker resolve.
"Ahem... The reason I came back late today is that something happened with one of my students."
"Something happened?"
Being sharp, Xie Yuyan knew there was more to Ye Feng’s words. Based on her persistent understanding of Ye Feng, he was currently tutoring two students: Li Mucheng, the daughter of the CEO of Li Corporation, and Su Yuxin, the daughter of the CEO of Su Corporation.
Judging by the timing, today’s incident must have been related to Li Mucheng. Even though Xie Yuyan had searched for recent news about Li Corporation on her smartphone while Ye Feng was away, she hadn’t found anything significant. This meant the matter was serious enough to require a private meeting.
"If it was just a minor issue, it shouldn’t have required you to work overtime, right?"
Xie Yuyan’s expression showed a hint of anger, likely upset that Ye Feng hadn’t told her the full truth.
"Well... It’s probably not a big deal. I just received information that a criminal group might be targeting Li Corporation. The CEO asked me to ensure Li Mucheng’s safety, that’s all."
"That’s all?"
At this, Xie Yuyan couldn’t hold back anymore, frowning and looking at Ye Feng with displeasure.
"Ye Feng, do you know how dangerous these criminal groups are? To achieve their goals, they won’t hesitate to take lives or reason with anyone. Anything standing in their way will be eliminated. They’re just as dangerous as the Dark Palace Organization!"
As she spoke, Xie Yuyan moved closer to Ye Feng, placing her hand on his, her tone softening slightly, her eyes filled with concern.
"Ye Feng... I don’t want to see anything happen to you. Please, promise me you’ll cut ties with Li Corporation, okay? If this continues, you’ll get hurt!"
Ye Feng knew Xie Yuyan’s reaction stemmed from her concern for him, but he had reasons he couldn’t back down. With a calm expression, he said, "I’m sorry, Xie Yuyan, but I can’t promise you that."
"You... can’t promise me?"
For a moment, Xie Yuyan felt as if all the energy had been drained from her body. She leaned on Ye Feng’s chair, barely able to stand steady.
Why? Why can’t you even promise me this? I’ve been trying so hard... Why won’t you give me even a chance? Why is this happening?!!!
Is it because that girl is prettier than me? Or does she make you happier? Even if... even if you just looked at me... just once, I’d...
Hearing the slight tremor in Xie Yuyan’s voice, Ye Feng didn’t know how to explain himself, but he also felt uneasy inside. Just as he turned to comfort the emotionally unstable Xie Yuyan, he noticed her looking at him with an eerie smile.
"Xie Yuyan?"
"Ye Feng... is she that important to you?"
"Huh?"
Before Ye Feng could finish, Xie Yuyan sat on his lap, her face almost touching his.
"Is she really that important in your heart?"
"Xie Yuyan, I think you’re misunderstanding something..."
"Answer me... yes or no..."
Ye Feng hesitated for a moment, then sighed deeply, looking directly into Xie Yuyan’s eyes. "She’s important, but you’re more important."
"If she’s more important, then... huh?"
Xie Yuyan’s other hand had been quietly reaching toward her back, but when she repeated Ye Feng’s words, she froze. Her mind replayed his sentence over and over, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard.
It wasn’t until Ye Feng repeated that she was more important that Xie Yuyan’s thoughts finally snapped back.
"Huh?"
Xie Yuyan’s face turned visibly red, her earlier fierceness completely gone, replaced by the flustered and awkward demeanor of a teenage girl.
"W-what did you say? I... I’m more important? H-how... how could that be? I... I thought..."
Stammering and unable to form a coherent sentence, Xie Yuyan’s reaction made Ye Feng chuckle. Relieved, he said, "What? Did you really think I didn’t value you?"
"N-no, that’s not it..."
"Ah, Xie Yuyan, your words really hurt me."
Ye Feng turned his head away, putting on a show of being deeply hurt, his acting skills impressively convincing.
"After I turned down the CEO’s offer to personally protect Li Mucheng and insisted on coming home today, fearing something might happen to you, I come back to this? I could’ve accepted his generous offer, but I chose to come back for you. And this is how you treat me? I’m truly disappointed."
With that, Ye Feng tried to push Xie Yuyan off his lap, but just as she was about to fall, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself into his chest, and began apologizing frantically.
"I’m so sorry, Ye Feng! I didn’t know the real situation! I’m sorry for saying those hurtful things. Please forgive my unreasonable behavior, okay? I’m really, truly sorry!"
Xie Yuyan’s voice was almost on the verge of tears, but Ye Feng, wanting to teach her a lesson about controlling her emotions, continued to push her away.
"Ye Feng... please, don’t ignore me. I apologize for what I did earlier. I just... I just got so scared thinking you might leave me..."
Her voice gradually became choked with sobs, as if she was regretting her earlier actions. Seeing this, Ye Feng finally dropped his cold demeanor.
Unbeknownst to Ye Feng, his actions had been teetering on the edge of pushing Xie Yuyan into a dark place.
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.
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
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."
