Ye Feng's Doubt

"Please don't say that, Mengli? I’ve never considered you a burden. Didn’t I tell you that the moment I signed the agreement at the welfare home, I would fulfill my duty to take care of you? Besides, your legs are recovering day by day—how could you ever be a burden?"

"I understand all that..."

Shen Mengli lowered her eyes but still managed to force a faint smile at Ye Feng.

"But, Xiao Feng, have you ever thought about what it would really be like if you took me back home?"

"Of course, it would be..."

Ye Feng was about to answer, to say that life would be filled with laughter and joy just like before, but he suddenly stopped, as if realizing something.

Seeing his reaction, Shen Mengli knew he had grasped the meaning behind her words. She continued in a calm tone, "It seems you’ve already found the answer in your heart. That’s exactly why I don’t want to return. If I did... I might not even have the chance to see you anymore."

With that, she nestled closer into Ye Feng’s embrace, as if affirming her own decision.

"I’m sorry, Mengli... I oversimplified everything."

This time, Ye Feng didn’t press further. Silence was his only reply.

"Come on, I’m not blaming you at all. Everything I’ve done is for the sake of both of us."

Shen Mengli reached out and gently placed her hand on Ye Feng’s cheek, her eyes shimmering with an inexplicable light.

"Now that there are no more obstacles—whether it’s Xie Yuyan or my physical condition—they’re all in the past. So... Xiao Feng, can we just live here forever?"

"Mengli?"

Ye Feng was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to be thinking along these lines. As for himself, he still didn’t know what to do—whether to tell Mu Cheng that he was safe or to return and face Xie Yuyan head-on.

Perhaps noticing the confusion in his eyes, Shen Mengli had no intention of letting him change his mind easily. Her goal was to keep Ye Feng by her side forever, in a world where only the two of them existed. She had always wanted him all to herself.

"I said all that because of you, Xiao Feng~"

She leaned against him softly, quickly adding an explanation to prevent him from growing wary.

"I... I just mean that you’ve always spent your time and energy for others. I want you to live for yourself. Didn’t you once tell me that someday, when you could finally rest, you’d live a peaceful, rural life? Well... I’d love to be part of that life too."

"I can’t believe you still remember that, Mengli..."

"How could I forget? I remember everything about you, Xiao Feng! After all, you’re the most important person in my world!"

"Mengli..."

Ye Feng gazed at the girl before him, her eyes filled with nothing but him. After the incident at the welfare home, he had thought he’d never see her again. Yet fate had somehow brought them back together, binding them tightly once more.

"Thank you."

"If you really want to thank me, then stay by my side, okay? Otherwise, I won’t accept your gratitude~"

Shen Mengli smiled sweetly, her adoring gaze deepening as she looked at him.

Ye Feng couldn’t miss the intensity in her eyes. Though he wanted to turn away, she firmly cupped his face, refusing to let him avert his gaze.

"No, Xiao Feng. I won’t let you look away. Keep your eyes on me, please?"

"Mengli... isn’t this a little too intimate?"

"What’s wrong with being intimate?"

Her captivating eyes bore into him, and her tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction at his words.

"Haven’t we always been like this?"

"But... back then, it was because of your legs..."

"Xiao Feng, you’re so stubborn~"

With a mischievous smile, she kissed his cheek again.

"I can feel it... your heartbeat is much faster than usual, you know?"

"Guh..."

Every retort of his was effortlessly countered. Left with no rebuttal, Ye Feng could only change the subject again.

"Mengli, that pill I had... did you give it to me?"

"Mhm."

She nodded without hesitation, as if she’d anticipated the question. A trace of panic flickered in her voice.

"You scared me to death, Xiao Feng. No matter how I checked, your condition seemed no different from death... But when I saw the pill in your hand, I remembered the one you’d given me before. So I fed it to you."

She pursed her lips slightly, as if savoring the memory—though Ye Feng didn’t notice the subtle gesture.

"I see..."

Ye Feng nodded thoughtfully. But he knew the healing pill’s effects were extraordinary. When he’d appeared by the river, he’d been gravely injured. Yet after just one day, his wounds had vanished completely. Shen Mengli must have noticed—such a miracle would be impossible to overlook. Why hadn’t she questioned him about it?

Reading the doubt in his eyes, Shen Mengli gently cupped his face.

"Xiao Feng, I know you must have a lot of questions. But don’t worry—just ask, and I’ll answer everything. As for your wounds... All I care about is that you’re back. Nothing else matters."

"Are you sure, Mengli? Don’t you have any doubts? Like why my injuries healed so suddenly, or why I came to the welfare home for you?"

"Silly Xiao Feng, didn’t I say none of that matters? Nothing could ever change how I feel. I don’t need anything else—just you, here with me."

She kissed his cheek once more, then shyly buried her face in the crook of his neck.

"Right now, you just need to rest. We can talk about everything else once you’ve recovered, okay?"

"Alright..."

Her words finally eased his tension. With a soft sigh, he absentmindedly stroked her silver hair, his nose tingling as a warm smile spread across his face.

"I understand."