Plans can't keep up with changes

The space behind the door was pitch black, but from Shen Mengli's angle, she could see a familiar shadowy figure standing before Ye Feng. A pair of pale blue eyes stared at her like an abyss, terrifying in their intensity, before shifting their gaze back to Ye Feng in an instant.

Realizing something was terribly wrong, Shen Mengli reached out, trying to push Ye Feng away from the doorway. But the shadow moved too quickly—a flash of silver-white blade light sliced through the air, followed by a sickening "shlick" as blood splattered across Shen Mengli's face.

"Xiao... Xiao Feng?"

Her pupils contracted sharply at the sight of Ye Feng collapsing into a pool of blood. The horror of the scene left her stammering, her voice breaking.

"No... no... Xiao Feng... NO!!"

......

"BOOM!"

"POURING RAIN—"

Outside the window, thunder roared across the sky, and suddenly, a torrential downpour began. Ye Feng, who had been sitting on the bed scrolling through his phone, jolted at the noise.

"When the hell is this awful weather going to end? I planned everything out, but who could’ve predicted this..."

Just as he muttered to himself, Shen Mengli's panicked scream cut through the air from beside the bed.

"XIAO FENG!!!!"

"!!!"

Before he could even finish his sentence, her voice rang right in his ear, startling him so badly that he shuddered and whipped his head around to look at her.

"Mengli, why are you so jumpy too? You nearly scared me to death. Was it the thunder? Are you—"

His words died in his throat the moment he saw her. Shen Mengli’s usually fair and lovely face was streaked with tears, her complexion ghostly pale, her eyes wide with terror.

"Mengli? Did you have another nightmare?"

Seeing her crying again, Ye Feng felt a pang of unease. In all their time together, she had never been like this before. What was going on with her lately?

"Xiao Feng... you’re here... you’re really here..."

Shen Mengli pinched her own arm hard, confirming that this was reality before finally letting her tense nerves relax. The nightmare had shaken her to the core—not because she feared the shadowy figure who killed without hesitation, but because she couldn’t bear the thought of Ye Feng getting hurt.

"Sniff... sob..."

She threw off the covers, wiping her nose as she crawled toward Ye Feng on her hands and knees. Even though there was a gap between their beds, she paid it no mind—until her body nearly toppled off the edge. Ye Feng caught her just in time.

"Mengli, what are you thinking?! If you fell and got hurt, what then? Didn’t we agree you’d take better care of yourself?"

"Heh... Xiao Feng... it’s really you..."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against him, trembling slightly as she finally began to calm down.

It was clear that Shen Mengli’s mental state was teetering on the edge of collapse. Just mustering the strength to crawl to Ye Feng had drained her completely.

"Mengli..."

Ye Feng didn’t press her further about her condition. From her behavior, it was obvious things were bad. And deep down, he had a sinking feeling—this had to be connected to the so-called "side effects."

If only I hadn’t given her that Bone Marrow Revival Pill... This is all my fault... ALL MY FAULT...

Still, he carried her back to bed and stayed by her side, waiting for her to recover. Outside, the storm grew fiercer, the thunder crashing more frequently.

......

"RUMBLE—"

Outside Shu City’s airport, pedestrians scrambled for cover, pulling out umbrellas or whatever they could to shield themselves from the rain. But one figure, draped in a raincoat, strode out of the entrance unfazed, moving swiftly toward the roadside with urgent, determined steps.

"Finally... I’m almost there. But this weather—ugh. I was planning to stop by the supermarket and pick up some ingredients to treat Ye Feng to a good meal. Guess plans really do change."

Xie Yuyan’s lips curled into a faint smile, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. She was like a rose blooming in the rain—radiant, alluring.

"Hmm~"

Eventually, she arrived at the apartment building where Ye Feng lived. Gazing at the familiar surroundings, she slowly peeled off her raincoat.

"I wonder if my Ye Feng’s been crying in bed while I was gone. Bet he’s been missing me every second."

"Don’t worry, Ye Feng. This time, I won’t leave you. Never again—not in this lifetime."

Humming to herself, she pressed the elevator button and stepped inside.

......

"Feeling any better?"

Ye Feng gently dabbed Shen Mengli’s eyes with a tissue, his heart aching at the sight of her bloodshot, swollen eyes. From her dazed expression, it was clear she hadn’t fully recovered yet.

"Xiao Feng..."

Shen Mengli breathed in his scent, her gaze empty as she listened to the thunder outside. Aside from occasionally murmuring his name, she hadn’t spoken a word.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke. "Xiao Feng... I had another nightmare."

"I figured. But Mengli, nightmares are just dreams. They won’t come true."

"Won’t come true? But it felt so real..."

"Mengli, be honest with me—is there something wrong with your body that you’re hiding?"

Ye Feng suddenly turned the question on her, scrutinizing her eyes and the subtle shifts in her expression, trying to confirm his earlier suspicions.

"No? What do you mean?"

Shen Mengli tilted her head slightly, shaking it as if confused. Her tone and demeanor were perfectly normal—no hint of deception whatsoever.

"Does Xiao Feng really think I’d keep secrets from you?"

Seizing the opportunity, she flipped the script, putting Ye Feng on the defensive. Caught off guard, he quickly backtracked.

"No, that’s not what I meant—"

"If not that, then what? So you don’t trust me after all..."

Her mood visibly plummeted. Seeing this, Ye Feng abandoned his questioning entirely, immediately shifting to comforting her.

"Of course I trust you! Mengli, don’t overthink it. I only asked because I was worried..."