Recognizing Maple Leaves by Their Scent

"Thump, thump..."

After a sudden, intense heartbeat, Ye Feng abruptly opened his eyes. When he did, he felt as though he had been reborn.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

Ye Feng gasped for breath, but only when he noticed the mist forming from his exhaled breath did he realize something was covering his mouth.

"Where... where is this? What happened to me..."

Ye Feng reached out and touched the object covering his mouth. When he removed it, he found a respirator in his hand, and he seemed to be lying in a hospital bed.

"I... I'm still alive?"

Ye Feng touched his chest, feeling his still-beating heart. He vaguely remembered that after rescuing Li Mucheng, his heart had felt like a gear grinding to a halt, followed by an intense tearing sensation spreading from his chest. Before he could react, the pain had knocked him unconscious. Now, it seemed clear that this was a side effect of that capsule. Looking back, its name was fitting—Extreme Capsule. It was indeed extreme.

Though his breathing was now steady, his body felt as powerless as a phone with a dead battery. This must be another side effect. He wondered how many days had passed since he had woken up.

As Ye Feng surveyed his surroundings, he couldn't help but wince at the luxurious private hospital room and the array of specialized equipment. Staying in a place like this must have cost a fortune. Money wasn't the most important thing, but he hoped it wouldn't be deducted from his salary. He was already racing against time; the last thing he needed was to be saddled with debt.

Just as Ye Feng was getting used to his environment, the door to the room suddenly opened. A figure appeared in the doorway, and upon closer inspection, Ye Feng realized it was Li Mucheng, who looked utterly exhausted as she walked in.

"Good afternoon, teacher~"

Li Mucheng's complexion was as pale as if it had been coated in wax, and her demeanor was like that of a zombie. Though she muttered something, her spirit seemed on the verge of collapse.

After greeting him, Li Mucheng slowly walked in and sat down on a chair beside his bed. Seeing Ye Feng sit up, she didn't seem surprised, as if she had grown accustomed to this scene.

"Hehe, another hallucination of the teacher waking up. But that's fine. At least you're awake, right?"

Li Mucheng smiled weakly at Ye Feng, her unfocused eyes revealing the immense strain her body was under. If she didn't rest soon, her health would surely suffer.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Ye Feng reached out and gently shook Li Mucheng's arm a couple of times, but she continued to smile vacantly at him.

This was bad. Li Mucheng was completely out of it. If he didn't pull her back to reality soon, her mental state might suffer permanent damage.

Feeling a sense of urgency, Ye Feng began patting Li Mucheng's shoulder, but no matter how hard he tried, she remained unresponsive. It seemed she was too far gone; he would need to do something more drastic to bring her back to the present.

"Miss... Mucheng? Are you okay?"

"Mucheng? Hehe, teacher, you finally called me that. I'm so happy~"

Li Mucheng's lips curled into a smile, clearly pleased by Ye Feng's use of her name. Her tone shifted slightly, showing a hint of emotion.

"Mucheng, wake up. I'm your teacher, Ye Feng! I'm fine. I'm alive!"

"Teacher... alive... alive..."

Li Mucheng murmured Ye Feng's name a few times, and finally, a glimmer of light returned to her dark eyes.

"The teacher is alive? Teacher..."

A moment later, Li Mucheng seemed to hear Ye Feng's voice and gradually regained consciousness. When she saw Ye Feng staring intently at her, she jumped up from her seat. Only after placing a trembling hand on Ye Feng's did she fully come back to reality.

"This... this is the teacher's hand. It's real! Teacher?!"

Li Mucheng couldn't believe her eyes. She had lost track of how many days had passed since that day. From the moment Ye Feng collapsed at the manor gate, she had stayed by his side, not even closing her eyes once.

"It's me, Miss. I'm awake."

Ye Feng comforted her gently.

"Really... really awake... Teacher, you're finally awake!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Mucheng threw herself into Ye Feng's arms. One moment she was overjoyed, and the next, she burst into tears.

"Waaah... Teacher, you're finally awake! Do you know how worried I was? From the moment you collapsed at the manor gate, I didn't dare close my eyes. I was afraid... afraid that if I did, you would leave me. Waaah..."

Ye Feng looked down at Li Mucheng, who was crying uncontrollably, and felt deeply moved. He hadn't expected her to go to such lengths for him, and a warm feeling spread through his chest.

"I'm sorry for making you worry."

"......"

After speaking, Ye Feng suddenly noticed that Li Mucheng had gone silent. His heart skipped a beat as he looked down at her, only to realize that she had fallen asleep, her breathing even and quiet. The strain had clearly exhausted her.

"Miss..."

Ye Feng bent down, intending to lift Li Mucheng onto the bed and make room for her, but when he tried, he found he had no strength left. He had no choice but to stay still, letting her cling to him. Gently, he reached out and touched her dry, brittle hair. Li Mucheng had always taken great care of her hair, but for his sake, she had neglected everything. What a foolish girl.

......

"Hmm..."

As the sun set in the afternoon, Li Mucheng's eyelashes fluttered slightly, perhaps stirred by the fading sunlight. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Ye Feng smiling at her in the golden glow of the sunset. This moment seemed to freeze in her mind, etched there forever.

"Tea... teacher? Am I dreaming?"

"Who dreams after waking up?"

Ye Feng chuckled and lightly flicked Li Mucheng's forehead. Only after she blinked a few times, as if confirming this was real, did he withdraw his hand.

"Teacher! You're finally awake!"

After pinching her arm and feeling the pain, Li Mucheng's dark eyes finally sparkled with life. She threw her arms around Ye Feng's waist, burying her face in his chest and taking a deep breath, as if to fully accept the reality that Ye Feng was truly awake.

"It's really... really the teacher!"

What’s this, sniffing to recognize the teacher? Are you a puppy or something!