The city we're in is called "Yin'ai." Legend says it was named after a legendary powerhouse who once roamed these lands. And the reason we didn't pass any villages on our way here? This city itself functions like a fortress.

Wang Qi shared the intel he'd gathered.

Zhang Yemiao frowned. "That doesn't make sense. If it's a fortress, entering the city shouldn't have been so easy."

"It's not the kind of fortress you're imagining," Wang Qi replied, as if expecting her doubt. "That grassland where we appeared? We walked for days, but it was only dozens of kilometers from this city—just the outer perimeter. Even then, we ran into monsters. Though those were just the stragglers this city had already cleared out."

*Cleared out?*

Zhang Yemiao caught the phrase. "You mean the monsters on the grassland used to be far stronger?"

"They still are," Wang Qi said gravely. "You just won't encounter the terrifying ones unless you venture hundreds of kilometers deep."

Zhang Yemiao swallowed hard. "So... if we'd picked the wrong direction at the start, we'd be dead?"

The thought chilled her. Their method for choosing direction—dropping a stick and following where it pointed—felt like gambling with their lives.

Wang Qi shot her a look. "If monsters kept getting stronger, we'd have turned back. Are you really that dense?"

...Her intelligence felt insulted. Zhang Yemiao itched to kick him, but considering his Physical Enhancement made him untouchable right now, provoking him seemed unwise.

"Rumor has it Yin'ai himself first built a makeshift fortress here with his squad to hold back the grassland monsters," Wang Qi steered the conversation back. "Only later did people flock here, turning it into a city. So villages *do* exist—they're just on the opposite side of where we entered. Inside the city's territory."

*Villages? Perfect.*

Zhang Yemiao knew exactly what to do. She'd chosen to stick with Wang Qi, so she'd follow his lead. She wouldn't dare wander alone—not when she was powerless. One wrong move, and she might end up as some otherworldly fluff toy in a story too spicy for WebNovel.

Better cling to this leg. Though Zou Moan and Li Pingtian seemed stronger, Wang Qi felt... steadier.

Zhang Yemiao, utterly unashamed of her parasite mindset, suddenly nodded. Wang Qi blinked, confused.

He continued, "My plan: rest today, leave at dawn tomorrow. They won't expect that. I also heard becoming a farmer here is simple—vast tracts of uncultivated land. You can build your own house. Though settling in one area means paying taxes to the local lord."

This world had monsters and endless wars. Landing away from a battlefield was pure luck. Despite decent development, the population was sparse compared to Earth. People chasing combat and magic cared little for farming—just enough to survive.

*This world is genuinely dangerous.*

Listening to Wang Qi, Zhang Yemiao felt their survival was miraculous.

"So we leave tomorrow?"

Wang Qi nodded.

Zhang Yemiao hesitated, then kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed. "Should we leave Mo An and Ping Tian a message? Or... something?"

...

Honestly, Zhang Yemiao wanted to leave word—at least their destination. But Wang Qi seemed dead set against informing them.

His silence stung. *Are college roommates really just acquaintances?* She flopped onto the bed, rolling left and right in frustration.

*Damn it, you're playing with fire.*

Wang Qi’s pulse spiked. Zhang Yemiao was undeniably gorgeous. Her petite frame wriggling on the sheets radiated an almost unbearable cuteness—making him want to scoop her up and tease her mercilessly.

He was a young man in his prime, after all. And Physical Enhancement amplified... certain urges.

He took a deep breath. "I'll sleep on the floor tonight."

Zhang Yemiao froze. The bed was huge. Why the floor? They’d shared a cramped tent before.

Letting him sleep on the floor while she took the bed felt wrong. But even in a woman’s body, she refused to *be* one. Exploiting this form for comfort? That’d make her no better than those Earth keyboard warriors.

A smile spread across her face—utterly mismatched with her innocent looks, yet dripping with allure. "C'mon, Qi-gege~ I wanna sleep with you~"

Some men could flirt wildly in dorms but freeze around real girls.

She even licked her lips, drawing Wang Qi’s gaze to their cherry-red sheen. He swallowed instinctively.

Then he snapped back. "Damn it, you really haven't learned!"

Wang Qi strode over and hauled Zhang Yemiao up by her wrists. Her lightness surprised him again—so easy to lift with one hand.

"No~!" she shrieked, legs kicking wildly.

He pinned her to the bed, trapping both wrists above her head with a single hand. She couldn’t move.

Panic flooded her. This position... was dangerously vulnerable. If he used his free hand now, she’d be defenseless.

Her face flushed crimson. Forbidden images flooded her mind.

Then Wang Qi moved.

"Hahaha! Wang Qi, stop! No! I—I was wrong! Don’t~ Haha!!"

He was tickling her. She writhed like a worm, trapped and breathless, begging for mercy.

A wicked smirk curled Wang Qi’s lips. "Oh? Admitting fault now? Call me Dad."

"I—I’ll call you nothing!"

"Oh?"

"Don’t! I’m sorry! Sorry! Dad! Dad!"

The Dorm Leader surrendered instantly, shattering the dignity of dorm leaders everywhere. Her face was flushed, tears glistening in her eyes—strangely pitiful.

Why did Wang Qi stop?

Making someone call you "Dad" was routine. But hearing it from such a cute girl made his heart lurch. He forced it down.

*This is getting dangerous.*

He released her wrists and stood up.

"Consider this your warning! Remember—I’m your Dad!"

Zhang Yemiao, about to retort, remembered that pinned position. Challenging him again felt too risky. Not that she disliked Wang Qi... but the thought of *that* happening was just... gross.

Still, she vowed revenge. This guy had been getting on her nerves lately.

---

That night, the bed was easily big enough for two. Zhang Yemiao’s petite frame took up little space. No cramped tent struggles tonight.

Then she suddenly rolled over and pressed against Wang Qi.

His eyes snapped open. He didn’t dare move.

Zhang Yemiao nuzzled against him like a sleepy kitten. Petite she was, but she wasn’t underdeveloped. The soft pressure against his arm sent his thoughts running wild.

*Calm down. Just calm down.* But staying calm felt impossible. Sleep seemed out of reach.

Then he noticed something off.

Her heartbeat was all wrong. He knew her sleeping rhythm from their tent days—this was too fast.

*She’s awake. And nervous.*

*Doing this on purpose?*

To test it, Wang Qi spread the hand she was hugging and placed it firmly on her thigh.

Zhang Yemiao froze. Her body went rigid, heartbeat thundering.

*He thinks I’m asleep and trying to take advantage?* The rough texture of his palm on her thigh paralyzed her.

Wang Qi sighed.

"Fine. I’ll let you off easy this time." He pulled his hand free. His words burned her cheeks with shame.

He stood abruptly.

"Where are you going?!"

"Toilet!" he snapped, disappearing into the small washroom.

Everyone knew what *that* meant. Even a long bathroom break didn’t take twenty minutes.

When Wang Qi returned, Zhang Yemiao lay perfectly still. She drifted off slowly. The night passed in silence.