Don't Give Up Halfway

"Ugh!"

The ringing phone snapped Ye Feng out of his daze, and he immediately put some distance between himself and Li Mucheng, gesturing toward the phone in her arms. "Mucheng, maybe you should answer that first?"

"Grr..."

Seeing their tender moment shattered by an untimely call, even the usually composed Li Mucheng couldn't suppress her irritation. However, with Ye Feng by her side, she directed her anger toward the caller instead.

When Li Mucheng checked the screen, she saw it was none other than Ah Fu—the very person who had interrupted her at every critical moment before.

"Ah... Fu!!!"

Her furious roar nearly made her trembling hands crush the phone in her pocket.

"Mucheng, calm down. If Ah Fu is calling, it must be something important. Why not hear him out first?" Ye Feng suggested.

"Hmph... If not for you pleading on his behalf, I’d have docked his entire month’s bonus!"

This time, Ye Feng didn’t stop her venting. To help her cool off, he figured Ah Fu could endure a little sacrifice.

Reluctantly, Li Mucheng finally answered the call, immediately snapping, "Ah Fu, if what you’re about to say isn’t important, I’ll reconsider whether your bonus stays intact this month."

"????"

On the other end, Ah Fu was utterly baffled. He’d only been following the young lady’s orders—how had things escalated like this? Desperate to save his bonus, he hurriedly explained.

"Young Miss, you asked me to invite the director of Hope Orphanage to speak with Ye Feng, right? Well, I’ve brought her to the manor, and she’s waiting for him in the reception room now."

"The orphanage director?"

Li Mucheng glanced at Ye Feng, who gave a slight nod before rising from the grass.

"Fine, I understand. We’ll head over now."

"Great! So, about my bonus—"

"It’s still getting docked!"

Click.

The dial tone left Ah Fu looking utterly defeated. He wanted to protest but could only let out a long, sorrowful sigh.

"Ah..."

......

Upon hearing news related to Shen Mengli, Ye Feng and Li Mucheng returned to the manor. The moment they stepped into the parlor, Ye Feng spotted the anxious orphanage director pacing near the sofa.

"Director?"

At the sound of his voice, the elderly woman turned as if grasping at a lifeline, her frail steps wobbling toward him. Her aged appearance made it clear that Shen Mengli’s disappearance had taken a severe toll on her health.

"Mr. Ye Feng!"

Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she reached him, her voice a mix of distress over Shen Mengli’s absence and relief at seeing Ye Feng.

"Mengli... Mengli is gone!"

"Director, please don’t panic. Let’s sit down and talk properly, alright? I promise you, Mengli will be safe."

"Yes, yes... She has to be..."

With Ye Feng’s support, the old director settled onto the sofa. After sipping some water at his urging, she gradually steadied herself.

Li Mucheng, seated beside Ye Feng, remained silent throughout, quietly observing the scene.

"Director, may I ask a few questions first?"

Once the woman’s breathing steadied, Ye Feng spoke again. Only when someone was calm could the full story be pieced together.

"Of course, Mr. Ye Feng. Ask anything. I’ll tell you everything I know."

"When was the video you sent me recorded?"

The director hesitated, lowering her head. "It was taken not long after you brought Mengli back to the orphanage. That night, I was checking on the children when I heard faint noises near her room. I hid by a flowerbed and managed to film what happened."

"But why didn’t you tell me about this sooner—"

Ye Feng abruptly stopped. Logically, Shen Mengli had experienced this too, yet she’d never mentioned Xie Yuyan’s visit. That could only mean she’d also told the director to keep it from him.

"Was it Mengli’s request?"

"...Yes."

The director paused before nodding.

"Mengli said you had... complicated feelings for that woman. And given her own health, she feared becoming a burden to you. She didn’t want to disrupt your relationship or make you unhappy, so she endured it all in silence... until she vanished."

"Nonsense!"

Ye Feng slammed his palm on the coffee table, shooting to his feet. Even Li Mucheng, who’d been listening intently, flinched and sat frozen beside him.

"I told Mengli repeatedly to come to me with anything! Did she just ignore me? She promised to trust me..."

His outburst spent, Ye Feng collapsed back onto the sofa, memories of Shen Mengli flashing through his mind.

A burden? Don’t be ridiculous. I never once saw you that way, Mengli... You’ve always been... someone irreplaceable to me.

"Teacher..."

Li Mucheng recognized the anguish in Ye Feng’s expression, and her heart ached for him. But she felt no resentment toward Shen Mengli—only frustration that the girl had caused him such worry.

Gently, she reached out and covered Ye Feng’s hand with her own, whispering, "It’s alright, Teacher. I’ll help you. I’ll send people to search for Mengli right away."

"Thank you, Mucheng... I just... I feel like I failed her. If only I hadn’t let you all—"

"Shh."

Li Mucheng pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him before pulling him into an embrace. Leaning close, she murmured into his ear,

"You’ve been fighting to change things, haven’t you? If Mengli is missing, we’ll find her. Wallowing in guilt won’t help—action will. I believe she left with your best interests at heart, so you can’t give up now."

"......"