Finally got it

"Hmm~"

As evening fell, Xie Yuyan hummed a cheerful tune while cooking dinner. Today was undoubtedly the happiest day she'd had in a while.

Just then, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared behind her. Xie Yuyan's pale blue eyes flickered with awareness, sensing someone's approach, yet she continued her task without pause.

Suddenly, a pair of large hands slipped around her waist. Feeling them, Xie Yuyan couldn't suppress a secret thrill in her heart.

Oh my, has my dear Ye Feng finally come to his senses? she thought. Well then, I should play along and not disappoint him~

With that in mind, Xie Yuyan deliberately leaned back slightly, intending to melt into Ye Feng's embrace. But in the blink of an eye—he vanished.

"Huh?"

Confused, she turned around to see what Ye Feng was up to, only to find him staring right back at her.

"What's wrong, Yuyan? Weren't you making dinner?"

Seeing his innocent expression, Xie Yuyan gritted her teeth in frustration. With a sultry tone, she purred, "Ye Feng, are you teasing me? Sneaking up on me like that and then trying to slip away?"

"Huh? What are you talking about... Xie Yuyan, what are you doing?"

Baffled by her words, Ye Feng opened his mouth to explain, but Xie Yuyan was already sauntering toward him with slow, deliberate steps.

"Of course, I'm going to~"

She tilted her delicate chin up, her beautiful eyes narrowing into mesmerizing crescents. Just as she was about to reach him, Ye Feng hastily blurted out the truth.

"Xie Yuyan, I was just tying your apron! You misunderstood!"

"Eh? Tying... my apron?"

At his words, Xie Yuyan froze, then glanced down in surprise. Sure enough, an apron she hadn't noticed before was now neatly fastened around her waist.

"Yeah, cooking involves a lot of oil and smoke. I figured I'd help you out."

Though Xie Yuyan's face fell slightly, Ye Feng could sense her gaze lingering on him from the corner of her eye—a clear sign that danger still loomed. Seizing the moment, he bolted toward the front door.

"X-Xie Yuyan, I just remembered I forgot something! I’ll run downstairs and be right back!"

"Alright, I'll be waiting for you at home, Ye Feng~"

Xie Yuyan didn't question his sudden departure. After all, she had already taken precautions. These days, acquiring tracking or surveillance devices was child's play. She had long since tampered with Ye Feng's phone—now, all she needed to do was glance at her own phone to monitor his every move.

With a confident smirk, she pulled her phone from her pocket. "Now then, let’s see what you 'forgot,' Ye Feng~ I hope you don’t disappoint me... or I might have to make you recuperate for a while longer."

Watching the blinking red dot on her screen, she nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks like Ye Feng is still in the elevator—he hasn’t moved much. Might as well listen in and see if he’s hiding anything from me~"

She tapped the red dot. Static crackled briefly before a faint voice came through.

"Huh? Why is the audio so low? I tested this earlier—the reception was crystal clear. Did it get wet?"

After fiddling with the settings, she maxed out the volume.

"That should do it."

Just as she murmured to herself, a familiar voice echoed back.

[That should do it.]

"W-What?!"

Xie Yuyan’s eyes widened in horror. She flung her phone onto the couch and sprinted toward the bedroom, dread coiling in her chest.

The moment she burst in, her worst fear was confirmed—Ye Feng’s phone lay motionless on the nightstand.

"H-He didn’t... take it? Why... why didn’t he bring his phone?"

The excitement in her heart evaporated, replaced by icy numbness. Her smile faded as if doused by cold water.

"You promised... you’d stay with me... always. No wonder you left your phone behind—you were trying to lower my guard and escape, weren’t you?"

"Why... after I trusted you so much... why would you lie to me? Why, why..."

Her voice trembled, muttering incoherently as if possessed. Her entire body stiffened like a lifeless machine.

Then, the room plunged into dead silence—broken only by the metallic shing of a blade being drawn...

Click.

At that moment, Ye Feng burst through the front door, panting heavily. Before he could step inside, he froze—Xie Yuyan stood in the doorway, staring at him with hollow eyes.

"Y-Yuyan?!"

One hand hidden behind his back, Ye Feng flinched at her sudden appearance. He had assumed she was still cooking, not lying in wait like this. This complicates things...

With a forced smile, he pulled out the bag he’d been hiding. He had planned a surprise for her, but now... that chance seemed lost.

"Y-Y-Ye Feng?! You... you came back?!"

"Huh? Shouldn’t I have?"

"N-No! That’s not what I meant... I just... didn’t expect you back so soon."

Xie Yuyan clasped her hands behind her back, retreating step by step while forcing a smile. She couldn’t let him see the dagger she was gripping...

"Yuyan, are you okay? You sound... off."

Ye Feng shut the door behind him and placed the bag on the dining table.

"Come on, don’t just stand there. Let’s have some cake."

"Eh? C-Cake?"

Her gaze snapped to the bag on the table. Shock made her fingers loosen—the dagger slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor.

Clang.

Xie Yuyan shuddered at the sound, her head bowing in shame like a child caught misbehaving.

"What’s this...?"

Curious, Ye Feng bent down—and froze at the sight of the fallen blade.

"D-Don’t look..."

Her protests were feeble. Once exposed, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"...I’m sorry."