Bite... Bite You to Death

"Yu Yan..."

"Ding ling ling."

"Click."

As the room door suddenly swung open, Ye Feng noticed the movement and turned his attention toward the entrance. When he saw a slender figure standing there, his body seemed to move on its own, rushing forward and pulling the figure into a tight embrace.

"Huh? Te... Teacher..."

Li Mucheng instantly felt herself enveloped by a strong, warm chest, the heat radiating from Ye Feng’s body leaving her momentarily dazed.

But before the startled Li Mucheng could fully process what was happening, Ye Feng began calling out Xie Yuyan’s name.

"Yu Yan... please... don’t keep going on like this, okay? There’s still time, as long as you—"

"......"

Mid-sentence, Ye Feng suddenly realized the scent in his nostrils didn’t belong to Xie Yuyan. Snapping out of it, he quickly released Li Mucheng and took a step back, looking at her expressionless face as he hurriedly apologized.

"Mucheng? I—I’m sorry, I..."

"Teacher."

Just as Ye Feng was about to put some distance between them and apologize properly, Li Mucheng unexpectedly wrapped her arms around him again, gently patting his back.

"It’s okay, Teacher. It’s really okay. I know you might still be struggling with some things, and I understand. I just don’t want you to push yourself too hard, or I’ll feel heartbroken."

"Mucheng..."

"Don’t worry, Teacher. I don’t mind at all. In fact, I hope you’ll come to me whenever you need help the most—because I’m here for you."

Li Mucheng smiled softly and let go of him, knowing this was a critical moment. She couldn’t be too clingy, but she also couldn’t ignore the turmoil in Ye Feng’s heart.

"......"

Ye Feng was momentarily stunned by her gentleness. After a long pause, he finally exhaled and sighed.

"Mucheng, you’ve really changed."

"Have I?"

Hearing the faint praise in his voice, the gloom in Li Mucheng’s heart lightened considerably. So what if Ye Feng had called Xie Yuyan’s name? Given the current situation, could Xie Yuyan even make a comeback? As long as she protected her teacher and stayed by his side, sooner or later, he would open his heart to her.

"It’s all because you taught me so well~"

With that, Li Mucheng took Ye Feng’s hand. Despite the warm weather, his fingers were unusually cold.

"Teacher, are you cold? Let me get you a jacket."

"N-no need, Mucheng!"

Seeing her about to leave, Ye Feng quickly grabbed her wrist.

"It’s probably because I left my injured arm outside the blanket last night. It’ll warm up soon."

"Are you sure you’re okay, Teacher?"

"Don’t worry."

Ye Feng raised his hand and gently stroked Li Mucheng’s glossy black hair.

"Mm! If you say so, then I believe you!"

Li Mucheng closed her eyes, savoring the moment with Ye Feng. Since he insisted he was fine, she wouldn’t press further. Then, she reached out with her slender, delicate fingers and took his hand, leading him outside.

"Teacher, it’s time for breakfast. If you don’t mind, would you join me?"

"Of course, but..."

Noticing the worry in Ye Feng’s expression, Li Mucheng immediately understood. She gave his palm a light squeeze and said, "About yesterday’s incident, I’ve gathered some information. How about we discuss it over breakfast?"

"Alright."

Under Li Mucheng’s guidance, the two returned to the same private dining room where they had eaten before. This time, however, the spread was much simpler—typical breakfast fare like steamed buns, eggs, and soy milk.

"Here you go, Teacher~"

Seated beside Ye Feng, Li Mucheng handed him a pair of chopsticks and peeled an egg for him, placing it in his bowl.

"Mucheng, it’s fine. You should eat too. I can serve myself."

"Teacher, just relax, okay? Do you really have to be so formal with me?"

"Right... I understand..."

Sensing the awkward silence, Li Mucheng realized this wasn’t the ideal start to their first morning together. She quickly changed the subject by sharing the intel she had gathered.

"Teacher, based on what I found out yesterday, the director of Hope Welfare Home said there were no signs of a struggle in Shen Mengli’s room—no bloodstains or any other clues left behind. The only unusual thing was a slash mark on her blanket."

Hearing this, Ye Feng let out a sigh of relief. If Li Mucheng’s report was accurate, then Shen Mengli, despite having disappeared, was likely unharmed. When he had encountered Xie Yuyan earlier, there had been no visible blood on her or her knife. But then, how had Shen Mengli vanished without a trace?

"Teacher?"

"Ah!"

Snapped out of his thoughts by Li Mucheng’s voice, Ye Feng realized his chopsticks had slipped onto the table. Li Mucheng was watching him with concern.

"Teacher, are you alright? You seem troubled."

"I... I’m fine, Mucheng. I was just thinking about Mengli."

Ye Feng didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts with her.

"Teacher, you think Shen Mengli might still be safe?"

"It’s just a guess. To know for sure, I’d need to visit the welfare home and ask the director. She might have the answers I’m looking for."

"There’s no need for that, Teacher! If you go out, Xie Yuyan might find you. After last night’s large-scale search failed to locate her, you’re still in danger!"

Li Mucheng immediately rejected the idea, then came up with an alternative.

"How about this—I’ll have Ah Fu bring the director here. That way, we can ensure her safety while also protecting you."

"But Mucheng, that’s too much trouble for you—"

"Tea~~cher~~!"

Li Mucheng huffed and slammed her hands on the table, standing up from her chair. Ye Feng flinched at her sudden movement.

"Didn’t I tell you not to be so formal? At a time like this, you’re still being polite with me—do you not see me as your student at all?"

"W-wait, that’s not it, Mucheng..."

"Then just accept it, okay? If you keep acting like this, I’ll... I’ll bite you to death!"

With that, Li Mucheng bared her pearly white teeth in a mock-ferocious display, though to Ye Feng, it only looked adorable.

"Alright, I get it."

Ye Feng chuckled softly.

"Thank you, Mucheng."