Fresh Juice

"Then all I need to do later is spend more time with Mucheng to lower this so-called vigilance level, and then I can avoid danger. That’s probably the idea, right?"

With this thought in mind, Ye Feng felt a sense of clarity. He twisted the bathroom door open and stepped out.

As soon as Ye Feng exited, he saw Li Mucheng juicing some oranges. Hearing the sound of the door opening, Li Mucheng turned her head with a slightly flustered expression and quickly walked over to him.

"Teacher."

"Mucheng, are you... making juice?"

Ye Feng pointed at the freshly squeezed orange juice in the glass cup.

"Yes, Teacher. I’m sorry for being rude to you earlier today... So I made this juice as an apology. I hope you can forgive me for my behavior."

Indeed, when Mucheng isn’t emotional, she’s such a well-behaved girl.

Seeing the guilt on Li Mucheng’s face, Ye Feng waved it off.

"Mucheng, don’t worry about it. I understand how you feel. It was also my fault for not telling you the truth earlier. How could I blame you?"

"Teacher..."

Li Mucheng smiled softly, then turned and handed the freshly squeezed juice to Ye Feng.

"Teacher, this is just a small token of my apology. If you don’t mind my bad temper today, please drink it."

Without hesitation, Ye Feng took the glass of orange juice from her hands—his way of showing her that he hadn’t taken her earlier actions to heart.

"Mmm."

Noticing a few bubbles floating on the surface of the juice, Ye Feng didn’t think much of it. After all, it was normal for freshly blended juice to have some foam. And besides, Li Mucheng was such a thoughtful and considerate girl—why would she ever harm him?

With that in mind, Ye Feng raised the glass and drank the juice in one go, right in front of Li Mucheng.

Unbeknownst to him, his action completely overlooked the expression on Li Mucheng’s face.

Her sly gaze fixated on him intently, her breathing growing more rapid with every sip he took.

"Mmm, nothing beats freshly squeezed juice made by Mucheng. The taste is even better than the ones from shops outside."

"Teacher, you’re exaggerating. All I did was toss the oranges into the juicer—there’s no special technique. But since you say so, I’ll gladly accept your praise~"

Li Mucheng giggled as she took the empty glass from him. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a faint trace of white powder clinging to the inside of the cup. Quickly covering the bottom with her hand, she then narrowed her eyes and looked at Ye Feng.

"Teacher, I’ll go wash the cup. Could you wait for me in my room?"

"Mucheng, why don’t I wash it? After all, I was the one who drank the juice."

"It’s fine, Teacher. No need to argue over such a small thing."

"Alright then. I’ll head upstairs first. Let me know if you need any help."

"Okay~ Just stay in the room, Teacher."

......

Once Ye Feng’s figure disappeared from the living room, Li Mucheng exhaled in relief. She tossed the cup into a kitchen trash bag, tied it up, washed her hands, and then took out a lightly scented lip balm from the cabinet. After applying it, she pressed her lips together.

"Perfect. I originally wanted to take things slow with Teacher, develop our feelings, and then have a romantic confession for a perfect day. But now, I’ll have to speed things up—skip the romance and go straight to the most important step. Once the rice is cooked, I can savor it bite by bite later."

Click.

Seeing Li Mucheng return to the room, Ye Feng, who had been standing by the open window, turned to her.

"Teacher, shall we start the lesson now?"

"Wait, Mucheng."

Ye Feng stopped her just as she was about to sit down. His gaze flickered uncertainly, as if he had something important to say.

"Before we begin, there’s something I want to give you."

"Hmm? What is it?"

Li Mucheng hadn’t expected Ye Feng to suddenly stop her, but given his usually dense nature, she didn’t hold much hope for his words.

At that moment, Ye Feng reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in red silk.

"This is..."

The moment she saw the box, Li Mucheng recognized it as an expensive luxury brand. Her previously calm expression instantly brightened, her eyes widening in surprise.

"It’s a gift I prepared for you, Mucheng. Since I wasn’t sure what you’d like, I just went with my own idea..."

Just as Ye Feng was about to explain the gift, Li Mucheng suddenly covered his mouth with her hand.

"Mmm... Mucheng?"

"Shh~"

She placed a finger to her lips, signaling him to stay quiet.

"Teacher, do you know what gift recipients hate the most?"

"Wh...at?"

Ye Feng’s nose was filled with the pleasant scent of her hand cream. Careful not to accidentally brush his lips against her hand, he spoke cautiously.

"They hate it when someone ruins the surprise by revealing the gift before they get to see it themselves."

"No, that’s not it."

Ye Feng gently lowered her hand and explained,

"Someone like you, Mucheng—a young lady who’s probably used to luxury—might not find this impressive. So I thought it’d be better to tell you upfront, since this is all my budget allowed."

"That’s not true at all!"

Li Mucheng immediately shook her head in denial. She took Ye Feng’s hand and placed it gently over her heart.

Ye Feng’s face flushed red at first, but when he realized he could only feel the fabric of her dress and nothing more, he relaxed.

Maybe this was one of Mucheng’s good points—at least she didn’t panic easily.

Watching Ye Feng’s expression shift from flustered to calm, Li Mucheng narrowed her eyes in confusion. But with time running short, she brushed aside his micro-expressions and spoke in a cheerful tone.

"Teacher, can you feel it? My heartbeat..."

"Mmm..."

"So, to me, no matter what the gift is, as long as it’s from you, I’ll love it. Because it’s special—you’re someone important in my life."

As she spoke, Li Mucheng curved her lips into a soft smile.

"So... may I open the gift now?"