Give It Back to Me

Watching Li Mucheng cry her heart out, Li Jing did not offer any words of comfort to his daughter. It wasn’t because he was cold-hearted, but because he knew that letting her cry it out would be more beneficial in the long run.

This time, Li Mucheng wept for a long time, only stopping when her eyes were swollen and her tears had run dry.

"Sniff... I-I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Teacher..."

Seeing Li Mucheng still hiccupping with sobs, Li Jing couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. Yet he knew that indulging her now would only hurt not just Ye Feng, but Li Mucheng herself.

In his mind, he faintly recalled the last time Li Mucheng had cried this hard—it was the day his partner had passed away from illness. That same day, his daughter had begun looking at him with eyes full of resentment.

Though Li Jing desperately wanted to explain to Li Mucheng that he and Su Wanli had been carrying out a classified mission at the time, by the time he returned, it was already too late. The person he loved most was gone, and his beloved daughter now regarded him with a strange, distant gaze—one that had persisted until now.

But things had finally begun to improve. If not for Ye Feng’s appearance, his daughter might still not have spoken more than a few words to him.

"Mucheng, it’s not too late to make things right. As long as you sincerely apologize to Ye Feng, I believe he’ll forgive you."

"O-Okay! I... I understand!"

Li Mucheng listened carefully to every word Li Jing said, nodding firmly once she had committed them to memory.

"Good. Do your best, child. No matter the outcome, I’ll be here to support you. I’ll do everything in my power to help you pursue your happiness."

"F-Father..."

Li Mucheng looked up in shock at Li Jing, who was smiling at her. For a moment, she froze in place. After all this time, it was the first time he had ever smiled at her.

"Th-Thank you..."

"Alright, it’s getting late. Mucheng, you should head back to the apartment now. I’ll take care of the house where today’s incident happened. I’ve already asked Ah Fu to pick you up downstairs."

"O-Okay, Father."

Li Mucheng stood up stiffly, gave a slight bow, and then left Li Jing’s office without looking back.

"That girl... If only things could stay like this forever..."

......

Thud.

As the car door closed, Ah Fu glanced at Li Mucheng in the rearview mirror. Her calm expression told him everything he needed to know.

"Young Miss, shall we—"

"Back to the apartment."

"Understood."

Just as the engine roared to life, Li Mucheng spoke up first.

"Ah Fu, tell me—how did Su Yuxin and Xie Yuyan get in today?"

"I-I’m sorry, Young Miss. The reason they were able to enter was because I let them in."

"Oh? I distinctly remember giving orders not to allow anyone inside. So, Ah Fu, were you disobeying my instructions?"

Oh no.

Ah Fu had thought he might make it through the day unscathed, but the shift in Li Mucheng’s tone made it clear he hadn’t escaped her notice.

"My apologies, Young Miss. I acted against your orders. If punishment is necessary, I’ll take full responsibility!"

"While your actions today anger me, I’ll let it slide this once. But mark my words—if you ever act on your own again, I won’t hesitate to have Father transfer you to the branch in Africa to serve as someone else’s bodyguard."

"!!!"

The threat nearly made Ah Fu lose his grip on the steering wheel. After a long pause, he stammered, "Y-Yes, Young Miss! From now on, I’ll report everything to you beforehand."

"Good. Drive."

Li Mucheng closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to the image of herself in a bathrobe with Ye Feng earlier that day. Though she now recognized her mistake, a tinge of regret lingered. She couldn’t help but resent herself for hesitating—only to lose everything in the end.

......

Upon returning to the apartment, Li Mucheng dragged herself exhaustedly to her room. But just as she was about to undress and sleep, a dark silhouette sat perched on her bed—holding a fox mask she knew all too well.

"Who are you?!"

Li Mucheng tensed, her eyes locked onto the composed figure before her. The outline alone gave her a rough idea of who it was. As she spoke, she subtly shifted backward, preparing to bolt from the room.

Whoosh!

A dagger embedded itself into the wall right where she had been about to retreat.

"Don’t even think about it. I have countless ways to deal with you."

"What do you want?!"

Realizing Xie Yuyan’s formidable skills, Li Mucheng had no choice but to stay put—though the disgust on her face was unmistakable. After all, this was the woman who had stolen Ye Feng from her. How could she not be furious?

"I’m not here to do anything to you. Consider this a warning."

"You think I’ll listen?"

"Whether you do or not is up to you. I couldn’t care less."

Xie Yuyan toyed with the mask in her hands. She didn’t need to guess whose it was. She still couldn’t understand why Ye Feng insisted on wearing it every time—maybe some odd quirk of his?

"My purpose here is simple: Ye Feng is mine. Don’t even dream of taking him from me. And as for what you did to him—I’ve taken note. This is just a warning. If I can slip into your home undetected, don’t assume you’re safe. I’d hate for the news to break with some shocking headline tomorrow."

"Also, Ye Feng and I are living happily together. I won’t tolerate any disruptions from rude interlopers. If I catch you or that other woman interfering with our time again... I won’t be this polite next time."

With that, Xie Yuyan picked up Ye Feng’s mask. She had no intention of leaving anything of his behind for Li Mucheng. Maybe cutting off all ties would finally make her give up. Besides—only she had the right to touch Ye Feng’s belongings.

"Give that back! It belongs to me!"

Seeing Xie Yuyan slip the fox mask onto her own face, Li Mucheng’s fury ignited. Without thinking, she lunged forward, desperate to reclaim what was hers.