The Person I Don't Want to Let Down

"Hey! Ye Feng, don't even think about trying to weasel out of this! This whole mess is your fault, and I'm the one who's suffering because of it."

"Xie Yuyan, hold on a second, I'm still trying to process everything."

"Process? What is there to process!"

Xie Yuyan was furious at Ye Feng's response. She had been working tirelessly, while Ye Feng seemed completely unfazed, and now he was acting like he didn’t even know what was going on. This was something she couldn’t tolerate.

In a fit of frustration, Xie Yuyan, who had been gently caressing Ye Feng’s face, suddenly grabbed his chin and, catching him off guard, pressed her lips against his in a sudden kiss.

"Mmm!"

Ye Feng was completely startled by Xie Yuyan's unexpected move.

"Xie Yuyan, you..."

"What about me?!"

Xie Yuyan pouted, her heart filled with dissatisfaction and even resentment toward Ye Feng.

"You're the kind of ungrateful person who drinks the water and then curses the one who dug the well. And here I was, trusting you so much!"

"Wait... Xie Yuyan, just give me a moment to sort things out, okay? My mind is a complete mess right now."

"Hmph, fine, go ahead and sort it out. But if you dare say even one thing I don’t want to hear, then..."

Xie Yuyan shot Ye Feng a fierce glare, as if warning him of the dire consequences.

"......"

Ye Feng’s mind raced as he went over every possible detail, trying to figure out what had gone wrong. But everything seemed to be in order. The only explanation was the side effect mentioned by the system... it must have been the... aphrodisiac.

"Sigh..."

Ye Feng let out a heavy sigh. Who could have guessed that the side effect of an antidote would be something like this? If he had known, he wouldn’t have been sitting so close to Xie Yuyan on the couch. Now, it seemed like he was truly caught in this mess...

Seeing that Ye Feng seemed to have accepted the situation, Xie Yuyan smiled happily. She leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Good boy, Ye Feng. I’m going to take a shower. You rest for a bit, and I’ll take care of the rest."

"Wait... Xie Yuyan, hold on!"

Realizing that Xie Yuyan was about to get up, Ye Feng quickly stood up, but he was too late to stop her. He could only watch as Xie Yuyan, her face flushed and her clothes slightly disheveled, turned back to give him a shy smile before slowly leaving the room...

It was true! It was all true! He was really... done for!

Ye Feng stared at the clothes scattered by his bed and then lifted the blanket to see a faint red stain on the sheets. His mind felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer, unable to accept the reality before his eyes.

"What on earth am I supposed to do now..."

......

"Hmm? Ye Feng, you’re done showering~"

Xie Yuyan, wearing an apron, looked at Ye Feng as he walked out of the bathroom with a dazed expression, a towel in his hand. She pouted slightly.

Why did it feel like Ye Feng’s reactions had suddenly slowed down? Had she accidentally hurt him?

"Yeah... I’m done..."

Ye Feng stumbled over to the couch, still clutching the slightly damp towel. It was clear that the events had taken a toll on him.

"Honestly... you’re such a handful..."

Xie Yuyan set the spatula aside, turned down the heat on the stove, and walked over to Ye Feng. She gently took the towel from his hands.

"How come you were so sharp before, but now you’re acting like a complete fool? Look at you, you didn’t even dry your hair properly."

As she spoke, Xie Yuyan began to dry Ye Feng’s hair with the towel, her voice soft and tender.

"Dinner will be ready soon. I’ll let you taste the new recipe I learned the other day."

"Xie Yuyan... maybe we shouldn’t do this anymore..."

"Huh?"

Xie Yuyan’s hand froze for a moment, but then she continued drying his hair.

"Don’t scare me like that. You know I’ll take your words seriously."

"I’m not joking... I mean it."

Ye Feng kept his head down, avoiding Xie Yuyan’s gaze. His tone was cold and distant, completely different from how he usually sounded.

"......"

Xie Yuyan stopped what she was doing and tightly gripped the towel in her hand.

"Why... why are you saying this, Ye Feng?"

"Because... I can’t be with you..."

"Can’t be with me?"

At these words, the smile on Xie Yuyan’s face slowly faded, and her cheerful tone vanished. The living room fell silent, except for the sound of the soup simmering on the stove.

"Why... why are you saying this, Ye Feng? Didn’t you admit that you had feelings for me? Why are you suddenly changing your mind? You even promised to give me the life I wanted. Was all of that just a lie?"

Xie Yuyan was still holding onto a shred of rationality, but emotionally, she was breaking down. After firing off a series of questions, she stared at Ye Feng’s head, her breathing quick and shallow.

"I... I can’t give you the life you want..."

Ye Feng clenched his teeth, struggling to get the words out. He had spent a long time thinking in the bathroom. In truth, he had enjoyed his time with Xie Yuyan. Even the simple act of coming home to someone waiting for him with dinner made him feel like this was the life he had always dreamed of. But was it really possible?

As long as he had this system, he would never live a peaceful life, let alone a happy one. It was precisely because he cared for Xie Yuyan that he didn’t want to drag her down with him. Someone like him didn’t deserve such a good life.

So when Ye Feng realized what had happened between him and Xie Yuyan, he felt fear... fear that he would become too attached and end up hurting such a wonderful girl.

If he truly loved her, he had to take responsibility for her well-being. If he only sought momentary pleasure, how was he any different from the organizations that had harmed her before?

"I’m sorry, Xie Yuyan. I can’t be with you."

"Why... at least give me a reason, okay? Did I do something wrong? Or am I not good enough compared to others? I can change, Ye Feng. Don’t be so sure about this. Like you said, everything will get better, right?"

Xie Yuyan was desperately trying to change Ye Feng’s mind, her voice even trembling with a hint of pleading.

Why... why is it like this? Were all our moments together just an illusion? Ye Feng, why are you being so... heartless?

"Xie Yuyan, actually..."

Ye Feng started to speak but stopped halfway. When he looked up, he saw Xie Yuyan tilting her head, staring at him with an expressionless face, like a mannequin in a clothing store.

Seeing this, Ye Feng shuddered. A chilling sensation crept up his spine. He had never seen Xie Yuyan look so strange before.