Is your leg better

"Me... Mengli?"

Ye Feng's heart trembled as he looked up at Shen Mengli gazing down at him. It wasn't until the initial joy of seeing her faded that he realized Shen Mengli could now move freely like a normal person.

"You... your legs..."

"My legs are healed."

Seeing Ye Feng make no move to resist, Shen Mengli slowly leaned down, pressing her cheek against his chest as she spoke calmly. Perhaps even now, Ye Feng hadn't noticed that his clothes had long been taken away and washed by her.

"Legs healed..."

Ye Feng blinked in disbelief, staring at Shen Mengli, who was looking up at him with a blissful expression. He still couldn't quite process what was happening.

"W... wait a second, Mengli. My mind's a mess right now. Can we take things one step at a time?"

"Of course~"

Shen Mengli playfully kissed Ye Feng's cheek, then tugged the blanket tighter around them as she snuggled closer into his arms.

"Until you figure things out, I'll tell you everything you want to know—nothing left out."

"Huh?"

Ye Feng touched his cheek in surprise. He hadn't expected Shen Mengli to be so bold now—how had they gone from talking to her kissing him? Flustered, he quickly tried to push her away by her shoulders, but as the blanket shifted, a cold draft slipped between them. Ye Feng shivered at the sudden chill. When he glanced down at his chest, what he saw nearly made him throw Shen Mengli off the bed in shock.

Fortunately, Shen Mengli had anticipated his reaction. The moment Ye Feng loosened his grip, she deliberately leaned her full weight against him, ensuring she stayed right where she was.

"Ye Feng, what are you doing~?"

She giggled, lightly tapping his chest with her small fist.

"N... no, Mengli! I just—where are my clothes? Why am I like this?!"

Feeling the softness of her skin against his, Ye Feng forced himself to turn his head away. He couldn't leave, nor could he make her leave, so he simply averted his gaze, trying to clear his mind.

"Oh, this? Of course, I took care of it for you."

Her tone shifted, suddenly sounding pitiful.

"I found you by the riverbank and dragged you home with all my strength. Then I washed your muddy clothes myself. And now, you won’t even look at me properly. How heartless..."

"R... really? I’m sorry, Mengli. I’m just... a little embarrassed."

Hearing her explanation, Ye Feng immediately turned back to apologize—only to find Shen Mengli nuzzling against him again, forcing him to look away once more.

"I never thought even you could get shy. Tell me, why are you so embarrassed?"

"Anyone would be in this situation!"

Ye Feng frowned. Shen Mengli had become increasingly mischievous, a far cry from her usual cool and composed self.

"Alright, Mengli, could you please bring me my clothes? Lying around like this isn’t exactly proper."

"Hmm..."

She pretended to think for a moment before answering.

"I’d love to, but I can’t right now."

Before Ye Feng could ask why, she continued.

"Normally, your clothes would’ve dried by now. But yesterday, when I was gathering them, I accidentally knocked over the whole basket. So they need to be washed again. You’ll just have to stay in bed for a couple more days."

"Then... do you have any other clothes? Even just a shirt or something?"

"You’re asking too much, Ye Feng. We’re in the middle of nowhere—where would I get extra clothes? I’ve got one set on me and another drying outside. Nothing left for you."

Realizing he wouldn’t be getting dressed anytime soon, Ye Feng gave up. But when he suggested Shen Mengli keep some distance between them, she refused outright.

"I’ve been taking care of you for two days, Ye Feng. Can’t I rest in bed too? How cruel of you."

"But you can’t just lie on top of me!"

"Isn’t this how we used to sleep?"

"......"

Her words left Ye Feng speechless. In the end, he had no choice but to let her nestle against him as she pleased.

"Alright, Mengli, I still have questions. When exactly did your legs heal?"

At his question, Shen Mengli grew quiet, curling up beside him as she whispered, "The day Xie Yuyan came to the orphanage to kill me."

Ye Feng stiffened, stunned. "You knew?"

"Yes."

She pressed her lips together and nodded slightly.

"Xie Yuyan tried to kill me once before. Back then, she just wanted me to leave you. But I couldn’t... I’d rather die than be without you. Later, maybe because you kept visiting me, it made her angrier. Around that time, my legs had already recovered well—I just hadn’t told you yet. So I left the orphanage in secret, without telling anyone."

"But... the director said there was no trace of you leaving. The orphanage’s cameras didn’t catch anything."

"Because..."

Shen Mengli lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

"I climbed over the back wall using a ladder... so the cameras didn’t see."

"Then why didn’t you tell the director or me? I told you to let me know if you were ever in danger!"

Seeing her expression darken, Ye Feng quickly realized his tone had been too harsh. He gently stroked her hair in apology.

"Sorry, Mengli. I got too worked up. Please, just tell me. After you disappeared, I even asked Mu Cheng to search everywhere for you, but we never found a trace."

"It’s... it’s okay, Ye Feng. The reason I didn’t tell you is because I always felt like I was a burden to you... My existence ruined your life, made things difficult between you and Xie Yuyan. So... I thought it was better if I just disappeared."

"Mengli..."