The Familiar Yet Unfamiliar Home

"Mm... Where am I..."

Before long, the unconscious Ye Feng gradually woke up in bed. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying in Shen Mengli's arms, her fingers still gently massaging his temples, sending waves of soothing comfort through him.

"Xiao Feng, you're awake~"

Shen Mengli finally withdrew her hands upon seeing Ye Feng regain consciousness. Her fingers ached from the prolonged massage, but she was relieved he had woken up at last.

"Yeah, thank you, Mengli. I don’t even know why I suddenly passed out."

Ye Feng sat up awkwardly from Shen Mengli’s lap, his body feeling much better after her care.

"Seems like you’ve been overworking yourself, Xiao Feng. Don’t push yourself so hard from now on, okay?"

"Mm, I won’t."

Ye Feng’s gaze shifted to the takeout bag by the cabinet as he asked, "By the way, Mengli, have you eaten yet?"

"No."

Shen Mengli shook her head lightly, her tone calm.

Ye Feng opened the takeout bag, relieved to find the food still slightly warm. "Phew... Good thing it hasn’t gone cold yet. We can still eat it while it’s warm. What would you like? I’ll serve it for you."

"I want whatever Xiao Feng... brought for me. Anything is fine."

"Tsk... That sounded a bit off somehow."

"Not at all. I meant exactly what I said. Unless... you’re thinking of something else?"

Under Shen Mengli’s piercing crimson gaze, Ye Feng felt his resolve weaken slightly, forcing him to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Alright, alright. Let’s just eat first."

He portioned out the food into a bowl and handed it to Shen Mengli. As their hands brushed accidentally, Shen Mengli’s fingers trembled, causing a piece of greens to spill out.

"Ah!"

She gasped in feigned surprise, though her eyes gleamed with premeditation. She had been waiting for this moment—she absolutely refused to sleep apart from Ye Feng.

Just as the greens were about to land on the bed, a large hand intercepted them midair.

"Wha—?!"

Shen Mengli looked up in shock, only to see Ye Feng grinning triumphantly at her.

"Good thing I reacted fast, or the bed would’ve been stained. Hold the bowl tighter next time, Mengli. We don’t want any more spills."

"......"

"I... I will. Thank you, Ye Feng."

Her plan foiled, Shen Mengli clenched her fists in frustration. She hadn’t expected Ye Feng to be so quick, but she couldn’t push it further without risking his displeasure.

"Enough talk. Let’s eat."

......

"Tap... tap... tap..."

Xie Yuyan stepped slowly into the all-too-familiar house, but the pitch-black interior felt like a suffocating fog enveloping her. The smile that had once graced her lips was now gone, replaced by a lifeless, hollow expression.

The faint sound of her footsteps echoed eerily in the dark room. As Xie Yuyan inhaled the air, her once-seductive eyes sharpened with suspicion.

"Ye Feng..."

She flicked the light switch, flooding the room with brightness.

Though everything around her was familiar, Xie Yuyan felt no joy. An unsettling premonition gnawed at her—this place carried traces of an intruder.

"Honestly, I thought you’d be obediently waiting for me at home, Ye Feng... Seems I underestimated you. But... did you really think my warnings were just empty words? I’ve been too lenient with you."

Her voice was icy, devoid of emotion, as she began her meticulous inspection of the house.

......

"The dining room, bathroom, balcony, living room... even the sofa. All of them bear signs of someone else’s presence."

With every piece of evidence she uncovered, the light in Xie Yuyan’s eyes dimmed further.

By the time she reached the sofa, her gaze had darkened completely, sinking into an abyss of cold fury.

Only when a chilling breeze swept in from the balcony did she finally lift her eyes again. Without a word, she strode toward Ye Feng’s bedroom.

No... No... At least this place should remain untouched! It has to! Even I haven’t spent much time in Ye Feng’s room—there must be an explanation!

Her movements stiff, Xie Yuyan reached for the bedroom doorknob. After a brief hesitation, she turned it.

Creak.

......

"I’m back."

Ye Feng pushed open the hotel room door, addressing Shen Mengli, who sat on the bed.

"Xiao Feng, why did throwing out the trash take so long? Are you feeling unwell again?"

"No, not at all. After dinner, I took a short walk downstairs. But this awful weather still hasn’t cleared up. I wonder if the rain will stop by tomorrow..."

"Are we leaving tomorrow?"

Shen Mengli blurted out the question as if struck by a sudden thought.

"Yeah, staying here indefinitely isn’t ideal. And your clothes are a bit too thin—I’m worried you might catch a chill."

Ye Feng sat down on his own bed as he spoke.

"Don’t worry, Mengli. I promise we’ll come back here someday. After all... I really do love the sea."

Shen Mengli glanced at him, noticing the flicker of longing and yearning for freedom in his eyes. It puzzled her.

Logically, Ye Feng had a relaxed job with good pay—why would he look so wistful? It was the same lost expression he’d worn before... What secrets was he still hiding?

"Mm, I understand."

Shen Mengli smiled sweetly.

"We’ll go see it together someday. The sea."

"Deal."

They shared a quiet smile. Just as the atmosphere threatened to turn awkward, Shen Mengli suddenly stretched out her hands toward Ye Feng again.

"Xiao Feng, I want to practice standing again. I feel like... I might be able to do it now."

"Stand up? Really?!"

Ye Feng’s face lit up with joy. He had been constantly worried about Shen Mengli’s incomplete recovery.