"Creak..."
The sound of a wooden door groaning jolted Shen Mengli awake. The moment she opened her eyes, a pair of icy blue eyes, turbulent like raging waves, bore into her. The hostility in that gaze made her feel as if an invisible hand had clenched around her heart, stealing her breath.
No matter how desperately she shook Ye Feng in front of her, there was no response—until a warm, sticky sensation seeped into her fingers, making her tremble. The warmth felt like thick paint coating her skin, and the metallic tang of rust filled her nostrils as it soaked into the sheets.
This... this is...
Shen Mengli stared in shock at her hands, now drenched in the "paint." Only under the faint glow from the window did she realize the truth.
"Blood? Xiao Feng's... Xiao Feng's blood?"
"Giggle, giggle~"
The shadow looming over her burst into laughter—a crazed, hollow sound, as if whatever heart it once had had been devoured, leaving only a puppet following a script.
"No... I won’t let you have him... He’s mine, mine alone!"
As the shadow spoke, a bloodstained blade materialized in its grip. A flash of crimson light, and the knife lunged straight for Shen Mengli’s heart.
Just before the blade could pierce her flawless skin, the shadow dissolved into wispy black smoke, vanishing into nothingness...
"Xiao Feng..."
Shen Mengli jolted awake, her eyes snapping open to reality. Beside her, Ye Feng wore an awkward expression, caught mid-motion as he prepared to leave the bed and pack for their upcoming trip. He hadn’t expected her to wake just then.
"Sorry, Mengli. Did I wake you?"
Seeing her crimson eyes brimming with tears, Ye Feng frowned in confusion.
Sure, I disturbed her rest, but crying? And why is she staring at me like that? Better apologize again.
"Sorry, Mengli, I—"
"Waaah!"
Before he could finish, Shen Mengli flung herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Her cries and hiccups echoed through the room.
"No... don’t... Xiao Feng, don’t!"
"Eh? Wha—?!"
Ye Feng looked down at her tear-streaked face, utterly bewildered. The way she spoke made it sound like he’d done something terrible.
"Mengli, hold on—I’m lost. What’s going on—?"
"Please... Xiao Feng... don’t die... don’t die!"
"......"
Don’t die? What’s that supposed to mean? She’s adorable, but is she cursing me now?
"Mengli, there’s gotta be a misunderstanding. I’m perfectly fine—why would I die—?"
"No, it’s not like that!"
Shen Mengli’s voice cracked as she shouted.
"I saw it... I saw..."
Mid-sentence, her body stiffened, as if struck by a sudden realization, and she fell silent.
"What did you see, Mengli?"
She sniffled, lifting her head to study Ye Feng’s unharmed form before exhaling in relief.
"I saw... a ghostly face..."
"A ghostly face? Mengli, did you have a nightmare?"
"Y-yes... a nightmare."
She wiped the lingering tears from her eyes with delicate fingers, though occasional hiccups still escaped.
As she collected herself, she realized: telling Ye Feng about the visions from her hallucination might not convince him. Worse, she didn’t even understand why these dreams were happening. Whether it was the first vision of the four gathered or this second attack by the shadow, everything felt hyper-real, immersive—yet undeniably dreamlike. Maybe it was a side effect of that pill? Designed to torment her mind?
"Sorry, Xiao Feng... I don’t know why I had such a nightmare. Did I disturb you?"
Her voice softened into a whisper as she steadied herself, guilt creeping in as she noticed his shirt dampened by her tears.
"Sorry for wetting your clothes..."
Ye Feng’s expression remained stern, and for a moment, Shen Mengli braced for a scolding. But then—a large hand settled gently atop her head. She looked up to find him smiling.
"Xiao... Feng?"
"I don’t know what nightmare you had, but it clearly upset you, didn’t it?"
His fingers combed through her disheveled hair, tucking stray strands behind her ears with tender care.
"But nightmares are just nightmares. All we need to do is live our real lives well. So don’t overthink it, Mengli. Face the nightmare bravely, and you’ll see—it’s nothing but a paper tiger."
Shen Mengli closed her eyes, savoring his comforting touch. Only when his hand withdrew did she peek up again. "I understand. Thank you, Xiao Feng~"
"Mm. Time’s almost up—we should get going, yeah?"
"G-going? We?"
The sudden statement left her dazed, but the sparkle in Ye Feng’s eyes hinted at something exciting.
"Xiao Feng, where are we going?"
He chuckled, tapping her forehead lightly. "To... the place you’ve always wanted to visit most."
"The place I’ve always wanted... That’s—!"
Realization dawned. She clapped a hand over her parted lips, staring at him in disbelief.
"Xiao Feng, you mean—the ocean!"
"Bingo."
Seizing the moment, Ye Feng slipped free from her embrace. She’d clung to him all night; he’d only just managed to wriggle free earlier, and now she’d latched on again.
"Actually, I bought the tickets yesterday. Kept it a secret—figured it’d be a nice surprise."
"Why...?"
Her throat tightened. The tears she’d fought back surged anew, breaching like a dam overwhelmed by floodwaters. Even as a smile graced her lips, the tears fell unchecked.
"Xiao Feng... why are you so good to me...?"
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!
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
at random stations. Passengers can choose to disembark and explore, or stay on board and wait for departure. This world holds endless treasures, but also unknown dangers. The goal is to explore stations, gather resources, upgrade the train, and survive. Unlike others who received food in their newcomer gift packages, Qi Xiao got a module card that activated a special ability—Station Forecast. Every time the train starts moving, it updates detailed information about the next station, warning of dangers and revealing potential treasures. While others must cautiously explore, Qi Xiao can rapidly develop his strength by relying on the station forecasts. [Next Station: Sunshine Gym, a large fitness center with no dangers.] [Next Station: Cai Family Village, contains zombie chickens, danger level: 2. One level-1 treasure chest located in the village chief's house at the center.] [Next Station: Three Mountains Station, contains one large supermarket, no dangers.]
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.
