The Terrible Nap

“Mmm...”

At some point, Ye Feng slowly opened his bleary eyes. After staring blankly at the ceiling for a moment, he suddenly realized he had dozed off.

He vaguely remembered Shen Mengli pulling him into taking a nap together. He hadn’t been particularly sleepy at first, but after chatting with her for a while, he’d drifted off without noticing.

What time was it?

Just as Ye Feng was about to grope around the bed for his phone, he suddenly found his right arm immobile—as if something had clamped down on it.

What’s wrong with my hand...?

When Ye Feng took a closer look, he noticed that Shen Mengli, who had been sleeping beside him, had somehow ended up hugging his right arm tightly in her sleep. Her loose clothing had pressed against his arm so firmly that it had gone completely numb.

“......”

Seeing no signs of Shen Mengli waking up, Ye Feng was torn between moving or staying still. At the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder—hadn’t they been sleeping under separate blankets? When did she sneak into his?

No, no... If this kept up, his arm would go necrotic and need amputation!

Feeling the intense pressure, Ye Feng had no choice but to forcibly extract his arm.

“Mengli... Mengli?”

He called her name softly, hoping to rouse the sleeping girl.

“Haa... haa...”

Shen Mengli’s breathing remained steady, showing no signs of waking. Seeing this, Ye Feng sighed and prepared to pull his arm out little by little—but just then, her eyes fluttered open.

“Xiao Feng? Good afternoon.”

Her drowsy gaze suggested she wasn’t fully awake yet. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Feng quickly freed his arm.

“Good afternoon, Mengli. Did you sleep well?”

“Very peacefully. Because you were beside me, I slept soundly.”

The two of them lay facing each other, whispering quietly. But soon, Ye Feng sensed something amiss and hurriedly sat up.

“Uh... Glad you slept well. Take your time waking up, no rush. I’ll go wash my face and get dinner started. I’ll come back for you later, okay?”

“Mmm... Thank you, Xiao Feng.”

“Hey now, no need to be so polite from now on, got it?”

Looking at Shen Mengli’s adorable expression, Ye Feng couldn’t resist patting her head. Realizing the gesture might be inappropriate, he quickly left the bedroom without another word.

“Mmm... Being with Xiao Feng really does make me feel so at ease. Even my naps feel fulfilling now.”

Shen Mengli murmured to herself, stretching slightly before letting out a tiny yawn.

“I wish life could stay like this forever...”

......

Sizzle.

The sound of oil crackling came from the kitchen as Ye Feng plated the last stir-fried vegetable.

“Alright, a good balance of vitamins and protein. Mengli isn’t a picky eater, so this should do for dinner. She should be awake by now.”

With that thought, he headed back to the bedroom.

“Mengli, are you up?”

As soon as he entered, he saw Shen Mengli sitting up, rubbing her eyes. Perhaps because she’d taken a bath earlier, a stray strand of hair stuck up adorably from her head like a cowlick.

“Mmm... Xiao Feng, are you done?”

“Dinner’s ready. We can eat now. Let me get your wheelchair—”

“No~”

Shen Mengli shook her head and stretched her arms toward him.

“The wheelchair’s outside. Pushing it back and forth would be too much trouble for you. The easiest way is for you to carry me.”

“You’re getting craftier by the day!”

Ye Feng wagged his finger at her in mock scolding but complied anyway. For him, taking care of Shen Mengli required constant attention—just like today, where a single moment of carelessness could lead to trouble. Though she was usually well-behaved, when she panicked, she became harder to handle than anyone else.

“Alright, hold on tight, okay?”

Once he confirmed Shen Mengli had securely wrapped her arms around his neck, he lifted her gently. She was light—hardly any effort for him—but he moved slowly, mindful that she’d only just woken up.

“Xiao Feng...”

Shen Mengli clung to him, gazing at his profile. For some reason, she found her self-control weakening the more time she spent with him. It was as if his kindness had a corrosive effect, eroding her rationality bit by bit.

I want... I want to get even closer to him.

Her mind was now filled entirely with thoughts of Ye Feng. As she leaned in, about to impulsively kiss his cheek, she hadn’t realized he’d already set her down on the dining chair.

“There, let’s eat.”

“Mmm...”

Shen Mengli pouted inwardly, lamenting her missed opportunity and chiding herself for not acting sooner.

“Mengli, I’ll be starting classes again in a couple of days. Should I take you to the institute first? I can pick you up after work.”

Ye Feng picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of spare rib into Shen Mengli’s bowl. Unconsciously, she had come to occupy a sister-like role in his life—though in her heart, he was far from just a brother.

“It’s fine, Xiao Feng. I’d rather stay at home. The institute... visiting occasionally is enough. The director has enough to worry about already.”

“Are you... really sure about that?”

“I’ve been managing on my own all these years. As long as you come back on time, that’s all I need.”

“Alright then. But I still worry about leaving you alone.”

“We won’t know unless we try, right? It’s part of learning to adapt, too.”

“Come on, Xiao Feng, don’t look so serious~”

Rather than being upset by his concern, Shen Mengli basked in it.

“It’s dinnertime now. Let’s talk about this later, okay?”

“Got it.”

......

“Done... This one’s done too...”

On a small island overseas, a lone figure flipped through a stack of documents. A strong gust of wind swept past, tousling her crimson hair, but she didn’t bother brushing it aside—she simply continued her work.

“Ah... It’s almost over. It’s been half a month since I last saw Xiao Feng... I miss him so much~”

Xie Yuyan savored the sea breeze, her thoughts already drifting far away...

Ye Feng, how have you been?