I Still Want to Listen

"Xie Yuyan?"

Ye Feng cautiously asked, meeting Xie Yuyan's probing gaze that seemed determined to unravel his thoughts.

"Who... was that on the phone just now?"

Xie Yuyan ignored Ye Feng's question entirely, her focus locked onto the call he had abruptly ended. A storm of unsettling possibilities swirled in her mind.

He hung up so quickly—he must be hiding something from me! Is it some secret between him and Shen Mengli? Or is it that student he never talks about, Li Mucheng? The uncertainty left Xie Yuyan feeling powerless. She was terrified... terrified that Ye Feng might leave her after what happened yesterday... Yet she couldn’t bring herself to restrain him. She knew that if she did, all she’d be left with was an empty shell.

"The phone? It was just some advertisement—"

"Show me."

Xie Yuyan cut him off sharply, her commanding tone startling Ye Feng. Just moments ago during dinner, her demeanor had been normal. But now, after a single spam call, her expression had darkened like storm clouds.

"I told you, it was just a useless spam call. Xie Yuyan, if you don’t believe me—"

Ye Feng stood and walked toward the sink, about to hand his phone to Xie Yuyan, who hadn’t taken her eyes off him. But then he noticed the water in the sink had turned red. A deep gash ran across Xie Yuyan’s palm, blood dripping freely, yet she stood motionless, staring at him as if nothing were wrong.

"Xie Yuyan, you’re hurt! What happened?"

Ye Feng rushed over, confirming it was only a superficial wound before spotting the shattered porcelain fragments in the sink. She must have cut herself while washing the dishes.

Without another word, Ye Feng turned and hurried toward the bedroom for the first aid kit. Fortunately, it was well-stocked—enough to properly treat her wound.

"Show me."

Before he could take a step, Xie Yuyan’s other hand clamped onto his arm. When Ye Feng turned, he found her still fixated on his phone, her stubborn gaze unwavering as she repeated her demand.

"Xie Yuyan, can we deal with this later? Your hand is bleeding—I need to disinfect and bandage it. The phone thing is just a misunderstanding..."

"Show me."

"......"

Watching the blood pool at Xie Yuyan’s feet, Ye Feng sighed in resignation and handed her his phone before storming off to the bedroom.

The moment she had it, Xie Yuyan scoured through his call logs, her bleeding hand no obstacle to her determination.

Just as Ye Feng had said, the only recent call was from an unknown number labeled "Telemarketing." The tension in Xie Yuyan’s shoulders eased slightly, but she wasn’t about to let her guard down over a single label. She needed absolute certainty—no loose ends when it came to Ye Feng.

Without hesitation, she hit redial.

"Ring... ring..."

As the call connected, Xie Yuyan slowly raised the phone to her ear. She remained silent, waiting for the other person to speak first.

"Hello? This is a representative from a real estate consulting service. Our records indicate you’ve shown recent interest in property listings, so—"

Click.

Xie Yuyan hung up before the salesperson could finish. She had her answer—no need to waste another second.

After placing Ye Feng’s phone on the table, she saw him rushing back toward her, medical supplies in hand. A pang of guilt hit her. She realized how harsh she’d been earlier—she might have pushed him too far.

"Ye... Ye Feng..."

Xie Yuyan lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes. She’d known this might happen, but she couldn’t risk letting some other woman sneak into his life.

"I’m sorr—"

Before she could apologize, Ye Feng seized her wrist. His scolding followed immediately.

"Xie Yuyan, are you trying to get yourself killed? I told you to tend to your wound first, but no—you had to check the phone right away. What’s wrong with you? Can’t you tell what’s more important?"

As he applied antiseptic, Ye Feng lectured her, frustration clear in his voice.

"Can’t you take better care of yourself? Look at all this blood on the floor. I don’t even know what to say to you anymore."

"Heh... hehe..."

Just as Ye Feng was about to wrap her hand in gauze, Xie Yuyan let out a soft, almost giddy laugh, her eyes brimming with happiness as she looked at him.

"You’re laughing? Seriously? And are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Nope~"

"Good. I’ll clean up the sink. You go sit on the couch and rest. How do you even break dishes while washing them? If you’d just let me handle it, none of this would’ve happened."

Instead of annoyance, Xie Yuyan found Ye Feng’s nagging endearing. If she could, she’d listen to him fuss over her for the rest of her life.

"Ye Feng... I’m sorry about the phone. I thought... you were going to leave me."

Ye Feng, now disinfecting the sink, shot her a brief glare before softening.

He wasn’t angry at her actions—just exasperated by how overly sensitive she’d become. She used to be different, but now even the slightest thing sent her into panic mode. It was unnecessary.

"Xie Yuyan, can’t we have a little more trust between us? I already promised I’d take care of you until you find your own path."

"Mhm... I know."

Though Xie Yuyan answered quickly, Ye Feng knew she was just brushing it off. Fixing this wouldn’t be so simple.

"Alright, enough. Go rest. You’re really giving me a headache..."

"Ye Feng, say more. I want to hear it."

"Like hell I will!"