Ye Feng's Flaming Red Lips

"Mm..."

After Ye Feng and Li Mucheng sat side by side on the sofa, Ye Feng hesitated for a moment, gazing at Li Mucheng's solemn expression before finally voicing his thoughts.

"The reason I think this way is because of myself."

"Why? You’re not at fault in this matter at all. The situation today happened because of Xie Yuyan herself."

"No."

Ye Feng shook his head and sighed.

"I’m the root cause of everything. If I didn’t exist, none of this would have happened. The one who truly made things turn out this way for all of you... is me."

"......"

Listening to his words, Li Mucheng could already guess the real concern weighing on his heart. She knew perfectly well that the reason she had become who she was now was precisely because of Ye Feng. Whether it was Xie Yuyan, Su Yuxin, or even the missing Shen Mengli—their connections to Ye Feng were undeniable. Now, what he meant was that he saw himself as the primary reason their lives had intertwined, and that everything happening now or in the future was inextricably tied to him. In his mind, he was shouldering the blame for all the misfortunes. But to Li Mucheng, this so-called sense of responsibility felt unbearably grating.

"So, Mucheng, just let me handle this alone—"

"Ye Feng, are you an idiot?!"

Just as Ye Feng was about to gently decline Li Mucheng's goodwill, he didn’t expect her to cut him off first, her voice brimming with anger.

"Why do you always assume that if something goes wrong, it’s your fault? You haven’t done anything wrong!"

"N-no, it’s not like that, Mucheng! I have made mistakes—huge, irreversible ones. And now, the consequences are catching up to me... I was too naive, thinking that broken things could just be patched up and made whole again. But now I realize... there’s no going back."

After saying this, Ye Feng lowered his head, weighed down by regret. But before he could sink further into melancholy, a pair of warm hands cupped his face. To his surprise, Li Mucheng lifted his head and pressed her forehead against his.

"Ye Feng."

She rarely called him by his name. Her dark eyes shimmered with tenderness as she gazed at him.

"I don’t care what happens to me in the future because of you. But I do know what my life would be like without you. It was you who brought color into my world. You taught me how to face life. You pulled me out of the shadows and stood by my side... It was your kindness that dragged me out of that bottomless abyss. So what I want to say is..."

She paused, watching his dazed expression, then seized the moment to lean in and brush her lips lightly against his before pulling away just as quickly.

"No matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side—just like you did for me. My kindness will always be yours alone. For you... I’d give everything, even my life."

"Mucheng..."

Her heartfelt words left Ye Feng utterly stunned, so much so that he barely registered the faint chime of a system notification in his mind. For the first time in this unfamiliar world, he truly felt Li Mucheng’s emotions.

It started with her... It all started with her...

Tears streamed down his face as he cast aside all restraints, surrendering to an overwhelming sense of peace and release. He buried his face in her chest.

"Ye Feng..."

Li Mucheng felt the dampness against her skin—this was the first time she’d seen him so vulnerable. Of course, she didn’t know it was also the first time he had ever shown his true self to her.

"It’s okay, Ye Feng. I’m here. I’ll always be here."

Gently stroking his hair, she looked at him with eyes full of warmth and love. Who would’ve thought that one day, she’d be the one repeating the very words he had once said to her? Perhaps... this was all predestined.

With that thought, she bent down and wrapped her arms around him, occasionally patting his back in reassurance.

Ye Feng didn’t sob or weep uncontrollably. He simply let the tears flow silently until his emotions finally settled.

"Ye Feng?"

"Mm... Thank you, Mucheng. I feel much better after hearing your words."

At her prompting, he straightened up, though his eyes darted away, avoiding her gaze—as if their roles had reversed.

"Ye Feng~ Look at me!"

"Ah... Okay..."

The moment he turned his head, Li Mucheng spun around and settled onto his lap, then pressed a deep, lingering kiss against his lips. When she pulled back, she smiled in satisfaction.

"That’s more like it. I told you, you don’t need to carry all this weight alone. I’m here for you."

"Mucheng..."

"Stop, stop, stop! No more of this gloom, Ye Feng. If you keep being like this..."

She puffed out her cheeks, hands on her hips, and declared with mock fierceness:

"I’ll kiss your lips raw!"

"......"

Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Li Mucheng realized her threat hadn’t intimidated him at all. Narrowing her eyes, she gave him a dangerous look.

"Seems like I’ll have to teach you a lesson so you understand just how serious I am~"

"Mucheng, wait. Actually, I wanted to tell you— Mmph!"

Ye Feng had just raised a hand to point toward the kitchen when Li Mucheng pounced on him like a face-hugging creature, sealing his lips in a kiss that left them both lost in the moment.

......

Gurgle...

"See? I told you the congee would burn."

Ye Feng touched his slightly swollen lips, shooting an awkward glance at Li Mucheng, who stood frozen in front of the stove.

"Wuu... My carefully prepared breakfast of love..."

Her lips quivered as if she’d been deeply wronged, and she shot him an accusatory glare.

"This is all your fault, Ye Feng! My breakfast is ruined!"

"How is it my fault? I tried to warn you, but you cut me off!"

"Well, you could’ve resisted a little!"

"Does my mouth look like I didn’t resist? Who was the one charging at me like a wild horse, completely unstoppable?"

"Th-that never happened!"