The night was dim in the small villa.
Due to concerns about the mutated plant, Shen Yi had shut down the basement generator to reduce noise.
To cut down on energy consumption, the usual bright lighting would no longer be seen.
Now they only had a camping lantern hanging overhead.
Dinner was prepared by Cheng Jun - her first time cooking here.
When Shen Yi offered to help, she shooed him away.
Now as she brought the plates to the table, he quickly took them from her, teasing,
"I must try this secret recipe of yours that you've been hiding from me."
Cheng Jun blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear,
"Don't be silly. I can't cook Chinese food, I only made Western dishes at home. Just try it."
She hadn't let Shen Yi help because she was nervous - cooking was unfamiliar enough, and having him watch would only add to the pressure.
Dinner consisted of a steak and some pasta for each person, garnished with tomatoes and spinach.
Given their limited conditions and scarce ingredients, they had to make do with whatever could fill their stomachs.
The beef came from a cold storage facility Shen Yi had broken into earlier - they had stockpiled some meat.
Once the storage door was opened, the cold air kept escaping, and the meat would spoil if not eaten.
Under Cheng Jun's expectant gaze, Shen Yi cut off a small piece and chewed it.
It was a bit tough, and the piece Shen Yi cut had some burnt edges, probably due to the lack of proper pan and temperature control.
Shen Yi maintained a straight face as he swallowed and said:
"Not bad, there's room for improvement."
Cheng Jun didn't catch the underlying meaning and smiled, standing up,
"Really? This should be paired with red wine. I decanted some earlier - I'll go get it."
Shen Yi smiled watching her leave, quietly flipping the steak to hide the burnt side.
When he looked up, Cheng Jun was already returning with a large bowl.
"Couldn't find a decanter, so this will have to do."
"That's fine, it's all the same."
Cheng Jun busied herself getting wine glasses and pouring for both of them.
Shen Yi rarely drank and wasn't particular about such things - the wine didn't need decanting as far as he was concerned.
Though he didn't enjoy drinking, he had stockpiled some alcohol as it had other uses besides consumption.
"Cheers."
They clinked glasses.
Cheng Jun sniffed the wine before drinking.
Shen Yi was a simple man - honestly, he just found the taste smooth and drinkable.
As soon as she drank, Cheng Jun's face turned rosy.
She quickly cut a piece of meat to chase the wine.
The moment it entered her mouth, her face scrunched up like a dumpling,
"Ugh, it's bitter!"
After spitting out the meat, she suddenly realized and looked at Shen Yi, embarrassed:
"I'm sorry, I didn't control the heat well. Just throw it away - I'll make you some noodles instead."
Shen Yi waved his hand, showing no blame,
"It's fine, mine is good. Just cut away the burnt parts - throwing it all away would be too wasteful. No need for noodles, we have pasta here."
Cheng Jun hadn't expected to mess up her first time cooking, especially after planning it secretly for so long. At home, her cooking had always turned out well.
Shen Yi wasn't just being nice - he was used to eating whatever was edible, and as long as it was cooked through, it was fine by him.
After calming Cheng Jun down, they continued their earlier conversation over wine.
"Looking back, we're really lucky nothing happened during all that commotion we caused."
"Yes, though it's rooted in the city center, quite far from us."
The commotion referred to their previous search plan, driving around with loudspeakers - they'd been everywhere except near the city center.
"Shen Yi, do you think there are any other survivors besides us?"
With most of the wine gone, Cheng Jun twisted the stem of her wine glass, her voice low.
Previously they only had internal worries, but now external threats had appeared - she couldn't stay optimistic.
"There must be. Humanity isn't that easy to wipe out."
According to the system's introduction, it was nearly overrun but not completely - reinforcements could be hiding somewhere.
That was all Shen Yi could say.
Cheng Jun was noncommittal about this answer - what difference would finding others make?
She was an outsider, with no family or friends, waking up to only this ruined city.
She took another big drink as emotions welled up, slowly laying her head on the table, her eyes lost like a frightened deer, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Why?"
"Why me?"
"Why am I here?"
Cheng Jun had gritted her teeth through many hardships, but the doubts weighing on her heart remained unresolved.
In the third month after arriving in this apocalypse, she finally broke down crying.
Shen Yi put down his glass, walked to her side, and gently patted her shoulder, consoling her softly.
Cheng Jun suddenly raised her head and hugged his waist, tears in her eyes as she leaned against him,
"Shen Yi, I miss home..."
That confused, heartbroken look struck Shen Yi's heart hard, filling him with guilt, almost compelling him to tell her the truth.
This was essentially just a dream, a game, yet it had entangled an innocent soul like Cheng Jun.
Shen Yi knew it was a game, but Cheng Jun was an unwitting victim, not just a programmed NPC - the copied version of her was a living, breathing person.
With emotions, fears, joys, and sorrows - her embrace, body temperature, heartbeat, tears, everything was so real - how could he remain unmoved?
Stroking Cheng Jun's hair, Shen Yi spoke with unusual seriousness:
"Maybe this is just a dream?"
"Nightmares always end, and perhaps one day you'll open your eyes and be back home."
"Family, friends, warmth, peace - everything as it should be."
At this moment, he didn't care if this was a system projection - he was treating Cheng Jun as a person, not just a character to be conquered.
Perhaps Shen Yi's comfort worked, as Cheng Jun gradually stopped crying.
She looked up with red eyes, smoothing out the wrinkles in Shen Yi's clothes where her tears had left a large wet patch.
"Sorry, I'm better now."
Seeing her sit up straight, Shen Yi returned to his seat.
Cheng Jun refilled both their glasses and raised hers again.
Seeing her take another big drink, Shen Yi frowned and advised:
"You should drink less..."
He'd figured it out - Cheng Jun was the type who couldn't handle alcohol well but drank enthusiastically anyway.
Cheng Jun ignored him, taking another sip of wine before exhaling and comforting herself:
"You're right, maybe it is a dream."
"By the way, Shen Yi, I never asked where you're from."
Shen Yi put down his glass and casually replied,
"My hometown is a poor place called Linjiang County in Gusu Province, but I work in Jingyuan City."
Cheng Jun's eyes lit up unexpectedly,
"You're in Jingyuan City too? Me too! Which district?"
"Uh, Jianyuan District."
"What a coincidence! I live in Shangyang District, but I work in Jianyuan too, at Tiancheng Group - you know it?"
Cheng Jun hadn't expected they lived so close - it must be fate.
"Jianyuan... Tiancheng... Cheng Jun?"
Though spoken softly, the words thundered in Shen Yi's ears.
Wang Ru's words suddenly came back to him.
"The Administrative Department just got a new manager named Cheng Jun, a beauty with overseas education, daughter of a high-level executive."
It was her?!
Shen Yi finally understood why the name seemed familiar, as if he'd heard it before.
Then he mentally complained,
First Fu Nanzhi, now Cheng Jun.
Why does this damn system keep targeting the same people...
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
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."
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
