The Girl Like a Hedgehog

"Like, but that doesn't mean..."

"Since you like it, isn't that enough? Wenwen's initial intention was to bring you this plushie because she thought you would like it."

"Sir! That's sophistry! If you accept someone's favor, you have to repay it."

"I understand what you're saying, but if we follow your logic, I bought the plushie and gave it to Wenwen, which means the owner of this little bear is Wenwen, right?"

"Yes... that's correct..."

"And Wenwen wanted to give this bear to you because you're her favorite older sister, right?"

"That's right..."

"Then isn't that settled? This means that from the moment I handed the bear to Wenwen, there was no debt of gratitude, because the plushie was a gift."

"Hmm..."

Young Wenwen clearly didn't understand the conversation between Ye Feng and her sister. She simply tilted her little head and turned her face toward whoever was speaking.

The white-haired girl pondered for a moment. Although Ye Feng's reasoning made sense, she had no rebuttal this time. In the end, she just stared at Ye Feng with her usual calm expression.

"Why? Why would you go out of your way for Wenwen like this? We're just children from the orphanage."

"Probably because of Wenwen herself. What she did today wasn't right, so I did this to help her improve."

"But Wenwen has no relation to you, sir? You have no obligation to be so kind and guide her."

"Well, maybe I just enjoy tormenting myself."

"......"

The girl was momentarily speechless at Ye Feng's words. She could only place the bear plushie on her lap, gripping its waist tightly with both hands.

"By the way, miss, though this might sound a bit forward, may I ask your name? Wenwen can call you 'sister,' but I can't very well do the same."

The white-haired girl blinked rapidly, as if hiding some emotion. Then, she spoke one word at a time.

"Shen Mengli."

So it was her!

Upon hearing Shen Mengli's introduction, Ye Feng instantly realized that this white-haired girl was the target he was supposed to kidnap.

He recalled how Wenwen had casually mentioned a "Sister Shen" earlier on the street, though he had forgotten about it at the time.

"What's wrong, sir? Is my name strange? Why do you look so troubled?"

Shen Mengli's tone sounded like a question, but it was hard to discern her true feelings without carefully processing her words.

"Not at all. I'm just surprised at how beautiful your name is—it has a very poetic feel to it."

"And your name, sir?"

Shen Mengli tightened her grip on the bear plushie, steering the conversation elsewhere.

"My apologies, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Ye Feng—'Ye' as in 'leaf,' and 'Feng' as in 'maple.'"

"Ye Feng... I'll remember that."

"Big Brother Ye Feng!"

Wenwen finally chimed in, calling out Ye Feng's name while bouncing around excitedly.

"Hey, Wenwen, did you remember what I told you? You have to be a good girl from now on, okay?"

"I understand!"

Just then, a figure approached from the fountain behind them. "Mr. Ye Feng, so you and Wenwen are here."

As the figure drew closer, Ye Feng saw the smiling orphanage director walking over. She also noticed Shen Mengli in her wheelchair.

"Mengli, you're here too. How are you feeling today? Any discomfort?"

"Thank you for your concern, Director. I'm the same as always, no major issues."

"That's good. It's getting late, time for afternoon tea. Do you need me to push you?"

"No need, Director. I can manage on my own."

Shen Mengli extended her small hands and began pushing her wheelchair down the ramp next to the pavilion. Watching this, Ye Feng felt a sense of danger and quickly descended the steps, ready to react if anything went wrong.

Perhaps due to the urgency of her conversation with Ye Feng, or maybe because Shen Mengli's actions were a bit rushed after his earlier words, the wheelchair moved a little too quickly. As the wheels hit the slope, they momentarily lifted off the ground. Losing her balance, Shen Mengli was visibly startled. Her usually calm red eyes widened, as if anticipating an embarrassing fall.

As the wheels lifted, Shen Mengli's body tipped forward due to inertia. Both the director, who covered her face, and the frightened Wenwen showed signs of panic. Fortunately, Ye Feng had anticipated this and quickly moved to catch Shen Mengli before she hit the ground.

"Careful!"

*Thud*

Ye Feng felt a soft weight in his arms. To his surprise, Shen Mengli was lighter than he had expected. He didn't even need to brace himself to catch her.

"Are you okay?"

After catching Shen Mengli, Ye Feng didn't let his thoughts wander. He simply held her in a princess carry.

"Mengli!"

"Sister!"

Only after the wheelchair slid down the slope did the director and Wenwen react, calling out Shen Mengli's name.

"Are you alright?"

Once he steadied himself, Ye Feng looked at Shen Mengli. Though he knew she had some health issues, he wasn't sure if his sudden catch might have caused any problems, so he quickly asked about her condition.

"I'm fine."

Shen Mengli paused for a moment before shaking her head to indicate she was unharmed.

"Whew... that's good."

Ye Feng breathed a sigh of relief and turned his gaze to the director.

"Director, could you please bring the wheelchair back over here?"

"Of course, of course."

The director hurriedly walked over and pushed the wheelchair back, with Wenwen putting all her strength into helping.

After making sure everything was secure, Ye Feng gently lowered Shen Mengli back into the wheelchair.

"Alright, everything's fine now."

As Ye Feng spoke, the tension in the air dissipated. But just then, Shen Mengli, still seated in her wheelchair, suddenly spoke up.

"Ye Feng... thank you. I'll find a way to..."

"Not again!"

Ye Feng interrupted her before she could finish. He didn't need to hear the rest to know what she was about to say.

"I don't need any kind of repayment. I did this because I didn't want you to get hurt, and I didn't want the director or Wenwen to worry about you. This isn't some kind of transaction, so there's no need to think of it that way, understand?"

"......"

This time, Shen Mengli didn't argue back.