Keep it up

"......"

By the pond in the garden of Hope Orphanage, Shen Mengli stood with a troubled expression, staring silently at her own reflection in the water.

The unease and conflict in her eyes made it clear that her mental state was far from stable.

"After all, I still couldn’t tip the scales in my favor in Little Feng’s heart. All my efforts were in vain. If only he had met me first... would he be with me now?"

"I dreamed of it again... Little Feng being trapped by Li Mucheng. If he keeps exhausting himself like this... he’ll eventually break down completely. Only then... will I have my chance."

Shen Mengli clenched her delicate fists as she muttered these words, trying desperately not to think about Ye Feng. Yet his image lingered in her mind, haunting her. After being separated from him for several days, she had even begun to hallucinate.

She had been waiting for the day Ye Feng would come to take her away, but... he probably wouldn’t return.

"Hold on..."

Shen Mengli slowly moved her legs. After days of rehabilitation at the orphanage, she could now manage simple movements with relative ease, though she was still far from fully recovered. Restless as an ant on a hot pan, every hallucination of Ye Feng getting hurt or being intimate with someone else felt like daggers stabbing into her heart. Yet, in the end, she was powerless to do anything about it.

"I can’t give up now! After finally getting to stay by Little Feng’s side, I won’t let go so easily!"

"Wait for me, Little Feng... I’ll take you away, far from the place that hurts you..."

......

"Screech—"

The sharp sound of tires skidding echoed as a car came to an abrupt stop outside Ye Feng’s apartment building. Standing by the roadside, Su Yuxin shot Xie Yuyan a meaningful glance before swiftly opening the car door and slipping inside.

Xie Yuyan understood the message in that look—Su Yuxin wanted her help in rescuing Ye Feng. After all, she had his location tracked on her phone. Judging by Su Yuxin’s fearless demeanor, her status was likely on par with Li Mucheng’s, which meant Xie Yuyan could take advantage of the chaos. If she could save Ye Feng, she’d have a clear path forward in the battle to come.

Once that happened, she would take him somewhere safe, far from harm. She refused to let Li Mucheng or anyone else hurt him again. She had already promised to build a happy future with him.

"Li Mucheng..."

......

"Clink, clank."

Ye Feng struggled against his restraints, having tried countless times to break free, only to be met with the cold rattle of chains.

What should he do...?

During Li Mucheng’s absence, he had managed to survey his surroundings. The only way out of this pitch-black room was through the welded-shut iron door—but escaping that way was nearly impossible. His limbs were bound with four heavy locks, each securing a joint tightly.

Just... what could he do?

With no other options, Ye Feng pulled up his system interface in his mind, staring at the single "universal key" he possessed.

The key’s description clearly stated it could only open one lock. Even if he freed one limb, the remaining three would still leave him immobilized. It seemed he was truly trapped...

"Bang."

The sound of the iron door swinging open snapped Ye Feng back to reality, and he quickly dismissed the system screen.

"Tap, tap, tap."

Li Mucheng stepped inside, dressed in a bathrobe and carrying a medical kit. As she approached, Ye Feng spoke up, "What are you doing?"

"Changing your bandages and reapplying medicine, of course~"

With a gentle smile, Li Mucheng settled onto Ye Feng’s lap and carefully uncapped a bottle of ointment, applying it to his wounds.

A cooling sensation spread over his injuries, making Ye Feng pause before murmuring, "This is mint extract, isn’t it?"

"Mhm. You once said mint helps reduce swelling and inflammation. I’ve remembered everything you taught me."

Her eyes curved into crescents like a child seeking praise as she beamed at him.

"Anything about you, Teacher, I’ll never forget. Because... you’re the most important person in my heart."

Ye Feng’s spirits lifted slightly. If Li Mucheng was willing to talk, maybe he could sweet-talk his way into gaining some leverage for escape.

"If I’m really that important to you... then isn’t treating me like this a bit unfair?"

"Ah..."

Li Mucheng lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought.

Encouraged, Ye Feng pressed further, "I know this isn’t what you truly want. Things have been complicated lately. How about you unlock these chains and let me explain properly?"

"T-Teacher... you wouldn’t lie to me, would you?"

"Of course not! Do I seem like that kind of person?"

Ye Feng answered without hesitation, his expression flawlessly sincere.

Li Mucheng bit her lip, her hands pausing mid-application. The internal struggle was evident in her hesitation.

Finally, after a long moment, she sighed and met his gaze. "Alright... fine."

Yes! It’s working!

Though inwardly thrilled, Ye Feng kept his face neutral, as if her decision meant little to him.

"The bandages are changed. Does it still hurt, Teacher?"

"Not at all. In fact, with your help, my wounds are healing even faster."

"Good. Then please wait a moment—I’ll get the key to unlock you."

With visible reluctance, Li Mucheng slid off the bed and, under Ye Feng’s watchful gaze, retrieved a key from the folds of her bathrobe.