Embarrassing Moment of Ye Feng

"Strange... why do I keep feeling chills down my spine?"

During his midday break, Ye Feng stepped onto the balcony to gaze into the distance when a sudden cold sensation crept up his back. He quickly turned around, only to find nothing out of the ordinary—except for Xie Yuyan lying on the sofa with her eyes closed, taking a light nap.

Could it be that the recent events had made him overly sensitive? With a complicated mood, Ye Feng eventually turned back, though an inexplicable tension lingered in his chest, as if he were anticipating something ominous.

"Sigh..."

After pondering for a while, Ye Feng still couldn’t pinpoint the reason. He slowly made his way back to the living room. Just as he was about to fetch his phone from his room to check on Shen Mengli, he suddenly realized that Xie Yuyan, who had been resting on the sofa moments ago, had vanished without a trace.

"Xie... Xie Yuyan?"

How could she disappear in the blink of an eye? For a second, Ye Feng wondered if he had imagined her presence. But then he remembered—after the incident at the Dark Pavilion, Xie Yuyan’s abilities had grown exponentially. Just as he was lost in thought, a faint cold breeze brushed against the back of his neck.

"Xie Yuyan, stop messing around. Didn’t I tell you to make noise when you walk? You’re going to scare me to death one of these days."

"I’d never do that..."

Sure enough, Xie Yuyan’s soft murmur reached his ears, followed by her arms wrapping tightly around his waist from behind.

"I could never bear to. I just... had a bad dream."

"Oh? A nightmare?"

"Mhm."

Seeing that Ye Feng didn’t resist her embrace, Xie Yuyan grew bolder, resting her chin on his shoulder. The unease from her nightmare gradually faded as she held him.

"I dreamed that one day, you disappeared... and no matter how hard I searched, I couldn’t find any trace that you ever existed."

"That’s impossible. Xie Yuyan, you’re overthinking things. Use your head—how could something like that happen?"

Ye Feng tried to pull away, noticing how her grip was tightening to an almost unbearable degree.

"No! Don’t go... just let me hold you for a little longer, okay? Just a little while..."

Xie Yuyan clung to him desperately, as if confirming his presence. But Ye Feng, unaware of the deeper meaning behind her actions, found himself struggling.

Under her relentless pressure, even Ye Feng’s strong willpower eventually crumbled. He broke free from her grasp and turned to explain himself, only to find Xie Yuyan averting her gaze, her cheeks flushed. She occasionally stole glances at him before quickly looking away again.

"Xie Yuyan? You..."

Ye Feng was about to ask what was wrong when he suddenly froze, realization dawning on him. He swallowed hard and followed the direction of her earlier gaze...

"Ye... Ye Feng..."

"I’m sorry!"

Before Xie Yuyan could say another word, Ye Feng bolted toward the bedroom, the tips of his ears burning red.

Watching him flee in embarrassment, Xie Yuyan blinked rapidly. This was the first time she had seen Ye Feng so flustered, and a secret thrill bubbled inside her. She was the reason for his reaction, after all. A strange mix of victory and something deeper stirred in her chest.

"Hmph~ Really, Ye Feng, you’re the one who made me the victim here... Since you started this little game, maybe I should play along and ease the awkwardness~"

She lightly bit her lower lip, her gaze growing distant as she absentmindedly brought a hand to her lips. Then, her eyes drifted toward the bedroom...

---

"What kind of person is she?"

Li Mucheng sat elegantly in a café, lifting her cappuccino for a delicate sip while keeping her eyes fixed on the nervous Shen Mengli across from her.

Shen Mengli, seated in a wheelchair, carefully cradled her coffee cup and attempted to mimic Li Mucheng’s poised manner. But the moment the bitter liquid touched her tongue, she winced and quickly set the cup down, her face twisting in discomfort.

"......"

Li Mucheng observed her with detached amusement. With each clumsy move, her wariness toward Shen Mengli faded, replaced by mild disdain. In her eyes, Shen Mengli was nothing more than a naive woman clutching at straws to change her fate—a pretty but useless vase. She had no interest in such a weak opponent; their "collaboration" was merely a means to extract information.

"I-I’m sorry... This is my first time in a place like this. I didn’t expect coffee to smell so rich but taste so bitter."

"Miss Shen, let’s not waste time discussing trivial matters, shall we? I have no interest in you. Let’s stick to the subject—our teacher."

"O-Of course. My apologies."

Li Mucheng glanced at the timid woman and, for some reason, added, "If... if the coffee is too bitter, you can add some sugar cubes from the box on the table. I was the one who suggested coming here. You don’t need to apologize to me."

"......"

An awkward silence followed. Unable to bear Shen Mengli’s piercing gaze, Li Mucheng cleared her throat.

"Let’s get to the point. How much do you know about Xie Yuyan?"

"Well..."

Shen Mengli leisurely dropped two sugar cubes into her coffee and stirred slowly.

"Xie Yuyan... is a remarkable woman."

"In what way? Influence? Or perhaps—"

"Combat."

"Combat? You mean she’s skilled in fighting?"

Li Mucheng raised an eyebrow, surprised by the unexpected descriptor.