Unpleasant Smell

"Eh? Fear of blood?"

"Right! Based on what you just described, Mengli, the only suspicious part was what happened after you got injured. So I think you must have fainted because of the blood."

"R-really?"

Shen Mengli nodded thoughtfully at this. Hearing Ye Feng's explanation, it did seem plausible. Then, right in front of him, she lifted the blanket.

"Mengli?"

"Xiao Feng, I'm sorry... I got the clothes you gave me dirty."

Shen Mengli looked down at the bloodstain on her dress, her voice tinged with sadness. Aside from her teddy bear, the clothes and hairpin Ye Feng had given her were her most treasured possessions. Yet she’d already stained the dress after wearing it only a few times, and it weighed heavily on her heart.

"Xiao Feng, I didn’t mean to..."

"Silly, it’s just a piece of clothing. Don’t say that. Besides, this wasn’t something you could control. Why would I blame you?"

Ye Feng reached out and gently stroked Shen Mengli’s silver-white hair, his voice soft.

"More importantly, as long as you’re safe and sound, that’s all that matters."

"Xiao Feng..."

Shen Mengli gazed at him with tender affection, then couldn’t hold back any longer—she threw her arms open and flung herself into his embrace. The familiar scent of him immediately soothed her unease.

But the moment she buried her face against his abdomen, her brows suddenly furrowed. She seemed to notice something off and quickly lifted her head, staring intently at Ye Feng.

"Mengli?"

Seeing her serious expression, Ye Feng lowered the hand that had been caressing her hair, his tone laced with confusion.

"Xiao Feng... did something happen today?"

"Eh? Why do you ask?"

"Because... because there’s a scent on you that doesn’t belong to you."

Shen Mengli explained calmly.

"A scent that’s not mine? Ah! I know!"

Ye Feng suddenly remembered—he’d passed out on Li Mucheng’s bed earlier. The smell Shen Mengli noticed must have come from there. He quickly explained the situation to her.

"Xiao Feng, you fainted?"

At this, Shen Mengli’s pupils constricted sharply, as if she’d uncovered something. She stared at Ye Feng, her expression tense.

"Yeah... it’s weird. For some reason, I keep getting dizzy when I’m tutoring Mucheng, but sometimes it doesn’t happen at all. My body hasn’t shown any other strange reactions, so I didn’t think much of it."

"......"

Shen Mengli’s eyes darkened noticeably, as though she’d pieced together something from his words. She pressed a hand against his chest and pushed lightly.

"Xiao Feng, you... you should go take a shower first. No matter what, the smell on you really isn’t pleasant..."

"Ah... right, sorry. I’ll go now."

Ye Feng scratched the back of his head awkwardly, a little embarrassed at being so bluntly rejected. He quickly stood up from the bed.

"Mmm... but before you go, could you bring my wheelchair over?"

"Mengli, you’re...?"

"I could smell the food from the kitchen the moment I woke up. I haven’t eaten all day, so I’m a little hungry."

Shen Mengli blinked rapidly, clearly a bit shy about admitting this.

"Ah! Of course! Just wait a sec, Mengli, I’ll get it."

Soon, Ye Feng returned with the wheelchair. Not wanting to transfer her while he still carried the unpleasant scent, he simply gave a few instructions before heading to the bathroom.

"Mmm..."

Once the sound of running water echoed from the bathroom, Shen Mengli grabbed the teddy bear from the bedside and carefully wheeled herself out of the bedroom.

When she reached the living room, she saw the steaming dishes on the dining table. But after only a brief glance, she continued forward, stopping just outside the bathroom door.

Her gaze lingered on the wall separating her from Ye Feng, her thoughts unreadable. Then her eyes shifted to the laundry basket nearby, narrowing slightly as she studied it.

"The scent on Xiao Feng’s clothes... it’s from that girl, Li Mucheng, right? But why does it feel... off? Like something that shouldn’t be there under normal circumstances. And Xiao Feng mentioned passing out—meaning Li Mucheng might be the one behind it! He’s just too trusting of her to notice."

"Ugh! All these awful women, scheming against Xiao Feng! How despicable!"

Shen Mengli angrily punched the teddy bear in her arms, glaring at it as she pouted.

"And you, Xiao Feng! You’re way too trusting! It’s always the people closest to you who hurt you the most—why don’t you ever stay on guard?! You’re driving me crazy!"

"If only... if only I weren’t like this... I’d never let you walk into the lion’s den like this!"

Her frustration only grew, and she began pounding the teddy bear repeatedly, completely missing the sound of the shower turning off.

"Even though... even though I’m the one who cares about you the most... why don’t I get any special treatment? Xiao Feng, you’re so unfair!"

The moment these words left her lips, a wave of steam suddenly wafted over her. Her petite frame froze instantly as she found herself face-to-face with Ye Feng, who stood wrapped in nothing but a white towel. The air between them turned thick with awkwardness.

"Uh... Mengli, what kind of special treatment did you want?"

Ye Feng finally broke the silence, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"......"

Shen Mengli didn’t answer. Slowly, she turned her wheelchair and wheeled away without another word.

......

"Alright, alright, I told you I wouldn’t hold it against you. Mengli, just relax, okay?"

After much coaxing from Ye Feng, Shen Mengli finally agreed to emerge from her blanket fortress to eat. But her flushed cheeks made it clear she was still embarrassed about what had happened earlier.

"Xiao Feng, I’m sorry... I shouldn’t have complained about you behind your back..."

"I already said it’s fine! Honestly, I thought it was kind of cute. I never knew you had such an adorable side to you."

Ye Feng chuckled as he held his bowl, then picked up a piece of spare rib and placed it in hers.

"Don’t just eat rice—have some of the dishes too."