My System Forces Me to Live off Women-Chapter 187 - 174: Disappointment!

"Is it really my cheat to smoothly pass this level, or is it the culprit that worsens my interpersonal relationships?"

Li Peifeng returned to his bedroom and locked the door behind him. He immediately took out the bottle of Nether Sea's Breath, ready to unscrew it but hesitated, pondering how the situation might change if he used the perfume.

It's been a while since he last used the perfume.

The impact was profound; Li Peifeng even believed that the main reason for his current predicament was using the perfume.

Firstly, it led to Wu Wenyue pushing him back. She dreamt of Narnia, and their friendship underwent a qualitative change.

Secondly, it caused Li Peifeng and Zhao Qingge to enter a dream together, and their teacher-student relationship also changed substantially.

If he hadn't used the perfume, these two things definitely wouldn't have happened.

At that time, he used it to complete a novice task, which was completed smoothly, but the price was not small.

Now, using the perfume again, even if it successfully calms Zhao Qingge's anger and covers up his relationship with Wu and Xu, what is the cost? If using the perfume doesn't solve the problem and instead makes the situation even more severe, wouldn't that add insult to injury?

"Knock knock~"

"Are you growing rice in there? Why aren't you cooking?"

Xu Manning urged outside the door, and Li Peifeng quickly responded, "Coming right away."

The situation can't get much worse!

With determination, he poured the liquid onto his palm.

But in his haste, he didn't control the strength, causing the bottle to tilt too much and resulting in a puddle the size of a one-yuan coin spilling onto his palm.

Previously, Li Peifeng only used a drop the size of a soybean, and this was five to six times more...

"Damn, did I use too much?! They've all eaten this, what else can they eat? Eat me then!"

Li Peifeng inhaled sharply, wanting to pour half of the liquid back into the bottle, but Xu Manning's knocking and voice resounded again: "Did you finish harvesting your rice? How do you plan to make that chicken drumstick? Sister Tianxuan wants to help, but she doesn't know what dish you want to make..."

"Coming, coming!"

Li Peifeng gritted his teeth, stopped trying to pour it back, and thought since there are more people and less time, using a bit more wouldn't matter.

With that puddle of perfume, he rubbed both palms, applied it to his neck and wrists, then massaged his temples and forehead.

After everything was done, Li Peifeng hid the Nether Sea's Breath, unlocked the bedroom door, stepped forward, and silently shouted with a tragic heart.

Cavalry unit, charge!!

"What were you tinkering with in there?"

Xu Manning stood at the bedroom door, looking at Li Peifeng with impatience after he came out.

"I was researching a secret sauce. Go grab some bowls and chopsticks, get ready to eat."

Li Peifeng replied concisely, not stopping his steps, heading straight to the kitchen, leaving a faint fragrance behind.

"...Oh."

Xu Manning's brows gradually relaxed, her steps instinctively following: "Are you done?"

"Almost."

Back in the kitchen, Huang Tianxuan was chopping vegetables, seemingly making a salad?

Not on Li Peifeng's menu, so he paid no mind to it and continued with his chicken drumsticks, but Huang Tianxuan came over with a bowl, wrinkled her nose, and looked puzzled with her eyes.

"Any problem?"

Li Peifeng appeared calm, but inside he was panicking.

Huang Tianxuan didn't respond immediately, sniffed him, moved closer to the pot to smell the drumsticks, and murmured confusedly, "Did you just go back to your bedroom to marinate yourself for three days and three nights with diacetyl (xiān) morphine?"

"What do you mean? What did you smell?"

Li Peifeng felt Huang Tianxuan's gaze was increasingly strange.

"Nothing, I just... had some hallucinations."

Huang Tianxuan waved her hand, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and amidst the chaotic smells in the kitchen - meat, vegetables, rice - she managed to pinpoint that faint and pleasant complex scent.

Even upon first encounter, it's difficult to describe it with a single item. Is it orange, osmanthus, gardenia, or is it the two person boating in the center of West Lake on a rainy day?

At this moment, Huang Tianxuan really felt like she and Li Peifeng were in the middle of West Lake, sitting in the cabin of a rowing boat. She was in his embrace, holding a bunch of calla lilies he gave her.

Smelling the fragrance of a hundred flowers by the West Lake and the fresh air, with rain-before Dragon Well placed on the table, he whispered in her ear 'Tianxuan, I'm actually your little lapdog.'

Like desires were fulfilled and emotions released, it was mysterious yet full of allure, feeling warm with memories, so close yet so far, leaving only endless imagination and affection upon waking.

"Fragrant lotus blooms in a summer breeze, brewing a slight coolness with sparse rain." Huang Tianxuan murmured with closed eyes.

An academic in pharmacy not wanting to do experiments, instead starting to recite poetry?!

Li Peifeng frowned and said, "Are you okay? Is the salad mixed?"

"Homesick? I am indeed homesick."

Huang Tianxuan slowly opened her eyes, sighed lightly: "Lapdog... No, Peifeng, come with me to Hangzhou this weekend."

"I talk about city gates and you respond about hip joints."

Li Peifeng helplessly said, "Snap out of it. Once the salad is mixed, serve it up, we're ready to eat."

He estimated that it might be Huang Tianxuan's first time smelling Nether Sea's Breath, while the others have smelled it before, so they don't react as intensely as her. Like Zhao Qingge and Wu Wenyue were still chatting in the living room, and even Xu Manning, who was closest just now, didn't...

"Manning? When did you get behind me?"

Li Peifeng had just finished frying the chicken drumsticks, about to serve the plate when he turned around and was startled, nearly dropping the plate.

Because Xu Manning stood just behind him, a mere twenty centimeters away, her cheeks slightly red, looking at him passionately: "I've always been by your side."

"...So you've been following me into the kitchen since I came out of the bedroom, right?"

"After all, I can't leave you, after all, my fiancé looks so handsome cooking, I can't look away..." Xu Manning lightly bit her lip, spread her arms, looking blissful: "A hug, I want my hubby to hug me."

Since when did I become your fiancé? How much fake wine did you drink?!

"Go serve the dishes!!"

Li Peifeng shivered, using a plate of chicken legs to interrupt Xu Manning's embrace, his tone was commanding as well: "Now, serve the dishes!"

"Even when you scold me you're handsome..." Xu Manning's face flushed more, muttering softly, took the dish and walked towards the dining room, didn't wait until she reached it before calling out to the two in the living room: "Time to eat, Professor Zhao."

"Alright, Wenyue, should I help you?"

"No need, no need, you do your thing."

As the sounds of footsteps grew closer, Li Peifeng instinctively glanced towards the dining room, only to see Xu Manning placing the dish on the table, actually tearing off a small piece of meat to secretly eat.

Still okay, though a little starstruck, but more obedient than usual, able to communicate, behaving normally, knowing to eat when hungry, even knowing to hide when sneaking food.

Li Peifeng slightly sighed in relief at this, then turned to Huang Tianxuan, his nerves tense again.

Because she held a large glass bowl for mixing salad in one hand, mechanically stirring with chopsticks, her eyes not focused on the food but staring at him, gaze lacking emotion and vitality, as though she didn't see Xu Manning calling him 'fiancé' just now...

Right now, Huang Tianxuan's appearance mirrored the description of girls being hypnotized in some illicit literary works!

Feelings of guilt surged in Li Peifeng's heart, feeling somewhat worried as well. If the perfume's power is like this, the situation might soon spiral out of control.

"Wake up?"

Li Peifeng snapped his fingers trying to wake her.

Huang Tianxuan's eyes immediately cleared, giving him a side glance: "What's up?"

Li Peifeng blinked, softly testing: "Tianxuan, I'm actually the reincarnation of Qin Shi Huang, have eight tons of gold in my tomb that the relic bureau froze, you just need to wire me fifty million so I can use it to grease palms and retrieve the gold, then I'll split half with you."

Huang Tianxuan's mouth corner twitched: "You're telling jokes before dinner?"

"You've seen through me? Yes, yes!"

Li Peifeng breathed deeply, yet felt slightly disappointed internally - what's going on?!

"Could it be I'm really a depraved pervert without any bottom line?!"