The Second Visit to Shen Mengli

"My request is... could Brother Ye Feng accompany me to the amusement park for a day?"

"Amusement park?"

At first, Ye Feng thought Su Yuxin would propose something far more troublesome. But when she finally spoke, even he was momentarily taken aback. He hadn’t expected her request to be this simple. Had he known, he wouldn’t have worried so much.

"N-no? You won’t go?"

Seeing Ye Feng’s reaction wasn’t what she’d hoped for, Su Yuxin’s heart sank further.

Can’t Brother Ye Feng even grant me this small wish? Even though... even though I’ve tried so hard...

"Sorry, Yuxin, that’s not what I meant."

Noticing the visible disappointment on Su Yuxin’s face, Ye Feng quickly waved his hands in reassurance.

"I was just surprised, that’s all. Haven’t you been to amusement parks before?"

"Of course I have... But I want to go with you, Brother Ye Feng. Isn’t that okay?"

Su Yuxin lifted her tearful, wide eyes to stare pleadingly at him, her lips trembling pitifully. Ye Feng couldn’t bear it—he immediately softened, rushing to comfort her before she burst into tears.

"Don’t be upset, Yuxin! I never said no. I was just asking so we could plan properly."

"So... you will go to the amusement park with me?"

"Of course! If you really want to go, I’ll happily take you. Just don’t cry anymore, alright?"

"Mm! I won’t cry... I was just... just scared you wouldn’t want to go with me."

"I do, of course I do. But let’s schedule it for next week, okay? Tomorrow’s too soon, and you’ve just started classes again—you should focus on reviewing first."

"Okay! Thank you, Brother Ye Feng! I knew you’d be the best to me~"

Overjoyed by his promise, Su Yuxin threw her arms around Ye Feng. The sweet scent of strawberry shampoo wafted over him, and he could only chuckle awkwardly as she clung to him.

......

Ahem... "Class time’s almost here, Yuxin. Did you understand everything from today’s lesson?"

Ye Feng checked the time on his phone before looking up at Su Yuxin, who was still gazing at him expectantly.

Ever since he’d agreed to her request, the girl had been buzzing with excitement—asking if he was afraid of haunted houses, gushing about all the fun rides they’d try together.

"Don’t worry, Brother Ye Feng! I’ve already mastered everything you taught me today!"

"Really? But I couldn’t help noticing that toward the end..."

"Ahh! Brother Ye Feng, don’t sweat the small stuff~ It’s getting late, you should head home now!"

"Huh?"

Her response caught Ye Feng off guard. Normally, Su Yuxin would insist on walking him out—yet today, she didn’t even suggest it.

"What’s wrong, Brother Ye Feng? Was there something else?"

Her tone carried a subtle hint of impatience.

"Oh, n-no, nothing. If that’s all, I’ll take my leave then."

"Okay~ Be careful on your way, Brother Ye Feng!"

Bang.

The moment Ye Feng stepped out, Su Yuxin dashed into her bedroom on her short little legs, her mind racing.

Now that Ye Feng had agreed to their amusement park trip next week, she had to plan the perfect outing—one that would be their special date.

Yes, in her heart, this wasn’t just a casual trip. It was a date with Ye Feng. Never mind that Xie Yuyan was already living with him—that didn’t concern her.

To Su Yuxin, no other woman deserved to be by Ye Feng’s side. Only she was meant to be with him.

"First, I’ll book the time and notify the amusement park staff. That way, the whole place will be reserved just for us—our own private world~"

Just as she reached for her phone, her gaze landed on the strawberry plushie sitting in her room.

"Not yet... I can’t give this to Brother Ye Feng now. I’ll wait for the perfect moment—then he won’t suspect a thing. Yes, that’s the way!"

......

"Ah, Mr. Ye Feng, you’re here."

The familiar face of the director greeted Ye Feng as the gates of Hope Orphanage swung open.

"Good afternoon, Director. Do you know what Shen Mengli is doing right now?"

Careful not to disturb the other children in class, Ye Feng kept his voice low.

"Mengli might still be napping. Ever since she heard you were visiting, she’s been overjoyed. She insisted on resting so she could greet you in her best condition."

"Resting? Has she not been sleeping well lately?"

"Well..."

The director hesitated, realizing she’d misspoken. But before she could backtrack, Ye Feng’s sharp stare silenced her.

"Director, I need the truth. Tell me how Mengli has really been doing."

"...Sigh."

The director relented with a weary exhale.

"The truth is, Mengli hasn’t been in good spirits. I’m sure you understand why better than I do. Though she seems cheerful and talkative on the surface, she often sits alone in the courtyard at night, staring blankly at the sky. Sometimes, when I check on the children late, I still find her there. When I ask why she isn’t sleeping, her answers are always vague."

"......"

"Mr. Ye Feng, lately, something seems to have affected her deeply. Her mental state has worsened—I suspect she’s suffered some kind of emotional shock."

"Shock?!"

Ye Feng could no longer suppress his concern. Ever since parting ways with Shen Mengli, his heart had never stopped worrying about her.

Perhaps it was because he’d promised to take care of her—a vow he took seriously. Or maybe it was because, during their time together, his heart had felt lighter, as if cleansed by a gentle stream. With her, life had been peaceful, free from burdens.

"Director, I’ll go check on Mengli first. If there’s nothing else, I’ll come back later."

"Understood."

Tap, tap, tap.

Without another word, Ye Feng strode toward Shen Mengli’s room.

Creeeak—

The old wooden door groaned as he pushed it open. Just as the director had said, Shen Mengli lay quietly in bed, her breathing slow and even.

"Mengli..."