Everything will be alright

"Xiao Feng, what’s the method you mentioned earlier? Can I know more about it?"

After finishing their meal, the two sat on the sofa. Shen Mengli hugged a small teddy bear plushie tightly in her arms, visibly nervous. Even without looking, it was clear that despite her claims of being fine, the looming crisis had left her frightened. Ye Feng, of course, noticed Shen Mengli’s unease.

"Mengli? Are you okay?"

"Me? Of course I’m fine!"

Shen Mengli forced a brave nod, offering Ye Feng a strained smile.

"Xiao Feng, don’t worry. I’ve been through so much already—this won’t break me either~"

"Mengli."

"......"

"You’re actually really scared, aren’t you?"

"......"

Seeing Shen Mengli bury her head like an ostrich, Ye Feng’s heart ached. He knew she was trying to show her best side to him, but the slight tremble in her body betrayed her fear.

Was telling her about this method the right decision...?

"X-Xiao Feng..."

After a moment, Shen Mengli finally whispered.

"Y-yes. Even though you’re here with me... I... I’m still so afraid."

"Drip, drip."

A few large teardrops rolled down Shen Mengli’s chin and onto the back of her hand. Unable to bear the torment any longer, she lifted her head and looked at Ye Feng with pitiful eyes.

"Before I met you, I used to think... disappearing from this world might’ve been a kind of relief. But now, I feel completely different."

Shen Mengli choked back a sob, her voice thick with reluctance to part from Ye Feng.

"Now... now that I have you, my life feels full of hope and happiness. But I can’t accept it... There are still so many meaningful things I haven’t done with you yet. I don’t want you to keep taking care of me in this broken state! I want to do things for you too, even if they’re small..."

Ye Feng gazed at the girl whose eyes were filled with nothing but him, his heart tangled in knots. On one hand, he wanted Shen Mengli to recover. On the other, he feared the side effects of the pill even more.

If this pill caused irreversible changes to Shen Mengli, no amount of regret would undo it.

"Xiao Feng."

Shen Mengli could see the conflict in Ye Feng’s heart. Wiping her tears, she continued.

"I... want you to hold me. When we do the treatment, I mean."

Ye Feng didn’t refuse or question her reasoning. He simply asked, "Are you sure?"

"Mm. If I can be in your warm embrace, even if something goes wrong... I’ll have no regrets. Maybe... this is just fate."

Shen Mengli forced a weak smile before turning her gaze back to Ye Feng.

"Can you?"

"Okay."

Without hesitation, Ye Feng reached out, wrapping his arms around Shen Mengli’s waist and pulling her close. In turn, Shen Mengli leaned into him, pressing herself tightly against his chest as if this alone could ease her fears.

"Rustle, rustle."

After finding a comfortable position, Shen Mengli rested her head against Ye Feng’s shoulder, looking up at his handsome face. Her cheeks flushed pink.

Mmm... I still can’t handle Xiao Feng’s closeness. Why does my heart race every time he touches me?

"Mengli, is this okay?"

Ye Feng inhaled the faint scent of her hair, unable to see her expression but gauging her emotions from her movements. Still, to be safe, he softly asked again.

"Mm, so warm. Your arms are even cozier than my little bear."

"Cough..."

Ye Feng’s face reddened at her words. Shen Mengli’s soft body felt like cotton candy, and he suddenly understood why she loved hugging her teddy bear so much.

"Then, Mengli, I’ll explain the method to you now."

"Okay."

"Actually, I got this method from a mysterious person by chance."

"A mysterious person? Who?"

Curious, Shen Mengli tilted her head up, her face full of questions.

"Well, this person..."

Of course, Ye Feng wouldn’t mention the "system." That was a secret he’d take to the grave. But to give Shen Mengli confidence in the treatment, he crafted a plausible explanation.

"Once, during a protection mission, I accidentally saved a masked man. To thank me, he gave me a pill, saying it could heal severe injuries—but with one drawback: the user might experience unpredictable side effects. Because of that, I’ve kept it stored away until now."

"Really? That’s... amazing."

"Right? At the time, I found it hard to believe too. But I also had my doubts. Medically speaking, the only way to heal your injuries would require extreme measures, and that..."

"I understand, Xiao Feng. That’s why you hesitated to mention it until now, right?"

"Mm."

"Do you know the mysterious man’s name?"

"No... After he disappeared, I only heard something like ‘Yuzu’..."

(Ciallo~ Just a cameo~)

"Yuzu? Never heard of them..."

"Me neither. That’s why it feels so surreal."

"Mm..."

After a brief silence, Shen Mengli spoke again.

"Xiao Feng, can I see the pill?"

"Of course. Wait here on the sofa for a bit, okay?"

"Okay."

Gently placing Shen Mengli back on the sofa, Ye Feng took a deep breath and headed into the bedroom. Out of her sight, he rustled around the drawers, pretending to search—though, through the system panel in his mind, he’d already retrieved the pill.

Holding the small, pitch-black sphere in his hand, Ye Feng hesitated. The image of Shen Mengli’s tearful face flashed in his mind, and he finally stood up and walked out.

Everything will be fine. It has to be.