The Frank Dean

"Mengli? I see."

Seeing Shen Mengli suddenly avert her gaze, Ye Feng felt inexplicably nervous and stood up abruptly from his seat.

But at that moment, Shen Mengli reached out and clutched the corner of Ye Feng's clothes again.

"Shen... Mengli?"

"Um... well..."

Hearing Ye Feng suddenly address her like this, even though she had prepared herself, Shen Mengli's words became hesitant. Although her expression and face showed no signs of embarrassment, when she sensed that Ye Feng was about to leave, she anxiously held onto him.

"Ye... Mr. Ye Feng, you haven’t told me how I should address you yet."

"Ah... sorry. As for how to address me, just call me Ye Feng. Calling me 'Mr.' feels a bit strange."

"Is that so?"

Shen Mengli suddenly glanced at the teddy bear in her arms and immediately blurted out,

"Xiao Feng!"

"W-what?"

"Can I call you Xiao Feng? I want to call you Xiao Feng."

"This nickname?"

Ye Feng hadn’t expected Shen Mengli to address him like this. Shen Mengli was probably the only one who would do so.

"This nickname is fine."

"Mm, so Xiao Feng, you’re agreeing, right?"

"Of course, it’s fine. But Mengli, can you tell me why you chose this nickname?"

Shen Mengli looked down at the teddy bear in her hands, then raised her head to gaze at Ye Feng. "This... I won’t tell you."

......

On his way home, Ye Feng’s mind kept replaying the memories of his time with Shen Mengli that day. Although Shen Mengli’s expression remained calm when he left the welfare center, he could clearly sense a newfound liveliness in her demeanor.

She should be fine now, right?

Ye Feng touched the disinfectant tablets in his pocket. Even though he seemed to have talked Shen Mengli out of her suicidal thoughts today, he still couldn’t shake off his worries. What if Shen Mengli was just putting on a front to appease him? Maybe he should keep an eye on her just to be safe.

With that thought, Ye Feng turned around and headed back toward the welfare center.

He didn’t dare to rely solely on his instincts to judge such matters, especially when it involved a living, breathing life.

"Mengli, what did Mr. Ye Feng talk to you about today?"

During dinner, the director, seemingly on purpose, brought her bowl over and sat down beside Shen Mengli. Her eyes carried a hint of amusement. After all, she had noticed something unusual when she saw Shen Mengli tugging at Ye Feng’s clothes earlier.

Based on her years of understanding Shen Mengli, the usually quiet girl had always been unflappable about everything. But Ye Feng’s appearance had changed her in many ways.

From the director’s perspective, Shen Mengli now seemed more like a living, breathing person rather than an emotionless doll.

"Di... Director, what are you talking about! Xiao... Mr. Ye Feng just discussed Wenwen’s situation with me. He didn’t say anything unnecessary."

"Sigh, Mengli, you’ve grown up. You’ve even learned to lie to me, the director. It breaks my heart~"

The director put on a tearful expression, which made Shen Mengli, who was never good at lying, feel even guiltier. But at the same time, a strange sense of shyness welled up inside her.

"R-really, I’m not talking to you anymore, Director! I... I’m full!"

Shen Mengli put down her bowl and chopsticks, pushed her wheelchair, and headed toward the hallway. Watching this scene, the director couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly.

Mengli has finally grown up. It seems like everything is moving in a positive direction.

"Phew..."

Shen Mengli pushed her wheelchair to the familiar garden, reached out, and patted her cheeks. Her heart felt like a tangled ball of yarn, chaotic and restless.

What... what’s wrong with me? I’ve never felt this strange before. What on earth is going on...

Xiao Feng has already left. I wonder when he’ll come back next.

Shen Mengli’s mind gradually filled with images of Ye Feng. Suddenly, as if realizing something, she shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake something off.

W-what’s happening? Why does my heart race whenever I think of Xiao Feng? It must be some kind of curse! I must have fallen under some strange spell!

After a while, Shen Mengli calmed down and sat in the pavilion, staring at the blooming flowers in a daze.

Just then, a figure approached her.

"Hmm?"

Shen Mengli turned her head and saw that it was the director.

"Director? Why are you here?"

The director, wearing a gentle smile, sat down beside Shen Mengli. Under Shen Mengli’s puzzled gaze, she took her small hand and said softly, "What? Can’t I come to see the child I raised with my own hands? Or do you wish it was Mr. Ye Feng who came to see you instead?"

"Of course not, Director! Stop teasing me! I was just curious why you followed me here."

Shen Mengli’s voice grew softer, and her eyes wandered aimlessly.

"Alright, alright, let’s just say I overthought it."

The director patted Shen Mengli’s hand, but then her tone shifted as she brought up another topic.

"Mengli, actually... there’s something I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Mengli, you’ve been an adult for quite some time now, haven’t you?"

"Ah... yes."

"Sigh."

At this point, the director tightened her grip on Shen Mengli’s hand. Her expression showed reluctance and pain as she prepared to say what came next.

"I... I’m sorry, Mengli. Before I say anything else, I need to apologize to you."

"Director, what are you..."

Although Shen Mengli didn’t understand why the director was saying this, she could see the deep sorrow and reluctance in her expression.

"The truth is, I’ve been hiding something from you. Once the children here reach adulthood, they must leave the welfare center. The center doesn’t have the right to continue caring for them."

The director’s voice even carried a hint of a sob. She knew what her next words would mean for Shen Mengli, but she had no choice but to say them.

"Because I couldn’t bear to let you go, Mengli. And if you were to leave, you’d likely be sent to a center for people with disabilities. I have no idea whether that place is good or bad. To keep you here, I broke the rules of the welfare center. But if this continues, it’s only a matter of time before it’s discovered. When that happens, the entire welfare center will face serious consequences..."