Ye Feng's Surprise

"Creak..."

The sound of a wooden door groaning jolted Shen Mengli awake. The moment she opened her eyes, a pair of icy blue eyes, turbulent like raging waves, bore into her. The hostility in that gaze made her feel as if an invisible hand had clenched around her heart, stealing her breath.

No matter how desperately she shook Ye Feng in front of her, there was no response—until a warm, sticky sensation seeped into her fingers, making her tremble. The warmth felt like thick paint coating her skin, and the metallic tang of rust filled her nostrils as it soaked into the sheets.

This... this is...

Shen Mengli stared in shock at her hands, now drenched in the "paint." Only under the faint glow from the window did she realize the truth.

"Blood? Xiao Feng's... Xiao Feng's blood?"

"Giggle, giggle~"

The shadow looming over her burst into laughter—a crazed, hollow sound, as if whatever heart it once had had been devoured, leaving only a puppet following a script.

"No... I won’t let you have him... He’s mine, mine alone!"

As the shadow spoke, a bloodstained blade materialized in its grip. A flash of crimson light, and the knife lunged straight for Shen Mengli’s heart.

Just before the blade could pierce her flawless skin, the shadow dissolved into wispy black smoke, vanishing into nothingness...

"Xiao Feng..."

Shen Mengli jolted awake, her eyes snapping open to reality. Beside her, Ye Feng wore an awkward expression, caught mid-motion as he prepared to leave the bed and pack for their upcoming trip. He hadn’t expected her to wake just then.

"Sorry, Mengli. Did I wake you?"

Seeing her crimson eyes brimming with tears, Ye Feng frowned in confusion.

Sure, I disturbed her rest, but crying? And why is she staring at me like that? Better apologize again.

"Sorry, Mengli, I—"

"Waaah!"

Before he could finish, Shen Mengli flung herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Her cries and hiccups echoed through the room.

"No... don’t... Xiao Feng, don’t!"

"Eh? Wha—?!"

Ye Feng looked down at her tear-streaked face, utterly bewildered. The way she spoke made it sound like he’d done something terrible.

"Mengli, hold on—I’m lost. What’s going on—?"

"Please... Xiao Feng... don’t die... don’t die!"

"......"

Don’t die? What’s that supposed to mean? She’s adorable, but is she cursing me now?

"Mengli, there’s gotta be a misunderstanding. I’m perfectly fine—why would I die—?"

"No, it’s not like that!"

Shen Mengli’s voice cracked as she shouted.

"I saw it... I saw..."

Mid-sentence, her body stiffened, as if struck by a sudden realization, and she fell silent.

"What did you see, Mengli?"

She sniffled, lifting her head to study Ye Feng’s unharmed form before exhaling in relief.

"I saw... a ghostly face..."

"A ghostly face? Mengli, did you have a nightmare?"

"Y-yes... a nightmare."

She wiped the lingering tears from her eyes with delicate fingers, though occasional hiccups still escaped.

As she collected herself, she realized: telling Ye Feng about the visions from her hallucination might not convince him. Worse, she didn’t even understand why these dreams were happening. Whether it was the first vision of the four gathered or this second attack by the shadow, everything felt hyper-real, immersive—yet undeniably dreamlike. Maybe it was a side effect of that pill? Designed to torment her mind?

"Sorry, Xiao Feng... I don’t know why I had such a nightmare. Did I disturb you?"

Her voice softened into a whisper as she steadied herself, guilt creeping in as she noticed his shirt dampened by her tears.

"Sorry for wetting your clothes..."

Ye Feng’s expression remained stern, and for a moment, Shen Mengli braced for a scolding. But then—a large hand settled gently atop her head. She looked up to find him smiling.

"Xiao... Feng?"

"I don’t know what nightmare you had, but it clearly upset you, didn’t it?"

His fingers combed through her disheveled hair, tucking stray strands behind her ears with tender care.

"But nightmares are just nightmares. All we need to do is live our real lives well. So don’t overthink it, Mengli. Face the nightmare bravely, and you’ll see—it’s nothing but a paper tiger."

Shen Mengli closed her eyes, savoring his comforting touch. Only when his hand withdrew did she peek up again. "I understand. Thank you, Xiao Feng~"

"Mm. Time’s almost up—we should get going, yeah?"

"G-going? We?"

The sudden statement left her dazed, but the sparkle in Ye Feng’s eyes hinted at something exciting.

"Xiao Feng, where are we going?"

He chuckled, tapping her forehead lightly. "To... the place you’ve always wanted to visit most."

"The place I’ve always wanted... That’s—!"

Realization dawned. She clapped a hand over her parted lips, staring at him in disbelief.

"Xiao Feng, you mean—the ocean!"

"Bingo."

Seizing the moment, Ye Feng slipped free from her embrace. She’d clung to him all night; he’d only just managed to wriggle free earlier, and now she’d latched on again.

"Actually, I bought the tickets yesterday. Kept it a secret—figured it’d be a nice surprise."

"Why...?"

Her throat tightened. The tears she’d fought back surged anew, breaching like a dam overwhelmed by floodwaters. Even as a smile graced her lips, the tears fell unchecked.

"Xiao Feng... why are you so good to me...?"