An Apology from the Dean

"Can't... give up halfway..."

Ye Feng repeated the words Li Mucheng had spoken to him, the faint, pleasant fragrance of her lingering around him, calming his restless heart.

Sensing that Ye Feng's condition had slightly improved, Li Mucheng loosened her embrace. On one hand, she didn’t want to embarrass him in front of others, and on the other, since he was gradually stabilizing under her comfort, there was no need to hold on any longer.

"......"

Across the sofa, the headmistress showed little reaction to the scene, only pausing briefly before focusing intently on their interaction. Strangely, her worry over Shen Mengli’s disappearance seemed to fade for a moment.

"Are you feeling better, Teacher?" Li Mucheng whispered into Ye Feng’s ear. As expected, after a moment, he nodded slightly in response.

"I-I’m sorry for losing composure at such a critical moment. Headmistress, my apologies!"

"It’s alright, Mr. Ye Feng. If anything, I was more concerned about your well-being."

The headmistress waved her hand dismissively before continuing, "But I hope you won’t worry too much. Mengli is a strong girl, and after everything she’s been through, I’m sure we’ll find her one day!"

"Right... No matter how many obstacles there are, as long as we face them one by one, we’ll eventually see the light of dawn."

Ye Feng clenched his fists, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"I’ll bring Mengli back, Headmistress. You can count on me."

"Seeing you so motivated, Mr. Ye Feng, makes this visit worthwhile."

The headmistress smiled and nodded in admiration. "For Mengli to have met someone as responsible and kind-hearted as you—it must be a blessing earned over three lifetimes."

"I... I’ll help too!"

At that moment, neither of them expected Li Mucheng, sitting beside Ye Feng, to speak up.

"M-Miss Li?"

The headmistress stared at her in disbelief. The Li Mucheng before her today was nothing like the person Shen Mengli had described.

After all, Li Mucheng had done terrible things to Ye Feng in the past. Yet now, the headmistress saw only a gentle, delicate young woman.

"Headmistress, I don’t know if Mengli ever mentioned me to you. But I want to say that under Teacher’s guidance, I’ve stopped being the kind of person who would do anything to achieve my goals..."

Li Mucheng tightly grasped Ye Feng’s hand, as if drawing courage from his warmth.

"I’ll always stand behind Teacher and support him. So... I’ll do my part to find Mengli too."

"Mucheng..."

Ye Feng turned to look at her smiling face, emotions swirling in his heart. Words stuck in his throat, leaving him speechless.

"I see... Well, this is unexpected."

The elderly headmistress nodded thoughtfully, her gaze at Ye Feng now tinged with amusement.

"Mr. Ye Feng, you continue to surprise me."

"Eh? Headmistress, I don’t quite follow..."

Ye Feng blinked in confusion at her cryptic words.

"My apologies, Mr. Ye Feng. I misjudged the situation. Perhaps it’s all due to your personal charm—I never anticipated this outcome."

"Headmistress, what are you talking about? What misjudgment? What charm? I’m completely lost."

Ye Feng had no idea how to respond to her sudden apology. One moment they were discussing Shen Mengli, and the next, the topic had shifted to him.

"Well, it’s getting late. I should return to the orphanage to tend to the children. I hope you find Mengli soon, Mr. Ye Feng. I’m very worried about her."

"O-of course."

As the headmistress rose from the sofa to leave, Ye Feng stood as well, intending to escort her out—only for Li Mucheng to pull him back down.

"Mucheng? What’s the matter?"

"Teacher, you should rest here. I’ll see the headmistress out."

"Are you sure?"

"Don’t worry. Besides, there are a few things I’d like to discuss with her."

Li Mucheng gave him a reassuring look before turning to the headmistress.

"Shall we go, Headmistress?"

"Of course. Mr. Ye Feng, I’ll take my leave now."

"Alright..."

Ye Feng watched as the two slowly exited the hall before finally withdrawing his gaze. Yet his mind lingered on the headmistress’s earlier words.

"What did she mean by that...?"

Meanwhile, Li Mucheng and the headmistress walked side by side toward the exit.

"Miss Li, you can stop here. I see my driver waiting."

Just then, Li Mucheng spoke up.

"Headmistress, the reason you apologized to Teacher earlier... it was because of us, wasn’t it?"

"My, you’re quite sharp. Just a hint, and you understood."

The headmistress didn’t nod, but her words confirmed Li Mucheng’s assumption.

"At first, I thought Mr. Ye Feng’s kindness would lead to his downfall—and in a way, I wasn’t wrong. But seeing you today made me realize my mistake. His kindness isn’t a spark that ignites danger, but rather..."

"A remedy that heals us."

Li Mucheng finished the sentence, as if she already knew what the headmistress would say.

"Precisely. It’s because of Mr. Ye Feng’s kindness that you’ve changed, isn’t it?"

"Yes... Looking back now, I understand that just being by Teacher’s side is enough for me. This happiness is far greater than anything I had before."

"But is that truly alright? You know you’re not the only one who loves Mr. Ye Feng."

"Just staying with him is enough. Besides, I can feel it—his heart is with me too. Why would I ruin this love over something like that?"

"......"

The headmistress said nothing more, simply nodding at Li Mucheng before turning and leaving the estate.

......

"Teacher?"

When Li Mucheng returned to the hall, she found Ye Feng standing by the window, admiring the view. At the sound of her voice, he spoke calmly, "You’re back, Mucheng."

"Mhm."

Without another word, she slowly walked over and threw herself into his arms. Only in this moment did her heart feel truly purified, warmed by his presence.

"I’m home~"