Amusement Park Date

Li Mucheng only snapped back to reality when she realized she had accidentally spoken her thoughts aloud. Watching Ye Feng turn his head away, pretending nothing had happened, only intensified her flustered embarrassment.

"Ahem..."

Ye Feng feigned a cough and muttered under his breath, "I didn’t hear anything just now."

"You heard everything!!"

Li Mucheng’s face twisted in dismay as she clutched Ye Feng’s clothes, shaking her head vigorously. "Forget it! Teacher, you have to forget all of that!"

"Alright, alright. Who knew you were thinking about such things, Mucheng? Is this what they call ‘silent waters run deep’—mmph!"

Ye Feng’s eyes widened as Li Mucheng suddenly cupped his face and pressed her soft, delicate lips against his.

"Achoo~"

"Mmm..."

Perhaps mindful of Ye Feng’s fiery red lips, Li Mucheng only lingered for a brief moment before pulling away, a silvery thread of saliva briefly connecting them before snapping.

With one hand gently caressing Ye Feng’s cheek, she cooed, "That’s your punishment~"

"What kind of punishment is this?"

Ye Feng shot her an exasperated look, waiting for the tingling in his lips to fade before explaining, "The reason I didn’t let you go out earlier is because you need to mind your appearance. Look at you—hair a mess, wearing pajamas. You don’t look like a young lady at all, more like a little beggar."

"As long as I’m with you, Teacher, I don’t care if I become a beggar~"

"You silly girl..."

Ye Feng lightly tapped her forehead with his finger before nudging her out of his arms.

"Alright, go fix your hair and change your clothes. If anyone sees you like this, they’ll gossip about me corrupting you."

"Who dares?!"

Li Mucheng lifted her chin defiantly. "If anyone badmouths you, I’ll make sure they regret it!"

"Then I’ll be counting on Young Lady Li’s protection?"

"Absolutely."

The two shared a smile before Li Mucheng leaned in again, planting a tender kiss on Ye Feng’s cheek.

"Wait for me."

"Okay."

"No peeking, alright? Though I won’t lock the door~"

"You can leave out that last part."

"Tch~"

As Li Mucheng walked away, Ye Feng moved to tidy the bed—only for his phone to ring abruptly.

Without hesitation, he pulled it from his pocket. His contacts in this world were limited to a handful of acquaintances, and since Shen Mengli still hadn’t been found, he clung to every shred of hope.

The screen displayed Su Yuxin’s name. Though it wasn’t the call he’d hoped for, at least it meant she was safe.

With that thought, he answered.

"Ye Feng, are you there? It’s Yuxin."

"Good morning, Yuxin. Calling so early—is something wrong?"

"Mm..."

A faint rustling noise came through the line before silence returned.

"Can’t I call you if nothing’s wrong?"

"Of course you can. I was just worried about you, that’s all."

"Worried about me..."

Su Yuxin bit her lip, finding no comfort in his words. Ever since learning that Li Mucheng—once estranged from Ye Feng—had not only reconciled with him but grown even closer, her heart had ached unbearably. Nights were plagued by nightmares, leaving her once-radiant face gaunt and weary. Only Ye Feng’s voice brought her any solace.

"Ye Feng, there’s something I want to discuss."

"Go ahead, Yuxin. I’m listening."

"It’s... it’s about tomorrow. Could you go out with me? I’d like to move up our plans."

"Plans?"

At his hesitation, the faint light in Su Yuxin’s emerald eyes dimmed. Her head drooped as she let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Of course... Of course he’d treat it as trivial. To him, I must be nothing more than an afterthought. But... were all those beautiful moments we shared just lies? Even that time in the sewer, when I was kidnapped—was that just part of some scheme?

"Yuxin, you mean the amusement park trip, right?"

Ye Feng’s voice snapped her out of her spiral.

"Huh? Y-Ye Feng, you... you remember?"

"Of course I do. It’s a promise between us, isn’t it?"

"A promise..."

Her eyes stung, and her earlier resentment melted away.

So... he hasn’t forgotten. He does care. It’s all Li Mucheng’s fault! If she hadn’t seduced him, I wouldn’t have resorted to this.

Ye Feng, I’m sorry... I’m only doing this for our future happiness. Please forgive my selfishness. When the time comes, I know you’ll understand.

But Ye Feng’s fleeting warmth couldn’t sway her resolve. Clutching a strawberry plushie, Su Yuxin murmured, "Then... could you go to the amusement park with me tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?! But we agreed on next week, during your break. And with everything going on lately, it’s not safe to go out now."

"Not at all! I’ve taken all kinds of precautions for our date."

"Precautions?"

"Of course. To avoid any unsavory crowds, I’ve rented out the entire park. Tomorrow, it’ll just be you and me."

"Plus, my father has stationed armed guards at every entrance. If there’s any danger, they’ll handle it immediately. So you don’t need to worry at all."

Silence followed her words, so heavy that even a pin drop would’ve echoed.

Su Yuxin sensed Ye Feng’s hesitation—likely searching for a polite refusal. But she wouldn’t give him the chance.

In a fragile, pleading whisper, she asked, "B-Big Brother... is that a no?"