What Are You Hiding from Us

Every word from Su Yuxin felt like a dagger to Li Mucheng's heart, stripping away the last shred of her defenses and leaving her with no room for excuses.

"Li Mucheng... Do you really want to disappoint Teacher so deeply?"

Su Yuxin stared intently at the motionless Li Mucheng, as if searching for any trace of weakness in her subtle movements.

"No, I never meant that. I just... I couldn’t face him..."

"Hmph."

Seeing Li Mucheng still cowering as before, Su Yuxin let out a scornful laugh.

"Seems your love for Brother Ye Feng is just that shallow—you can’t even stand by him when it matters most."

Li Mucheng trembled at the taunt, her lips parting as if to retort, but no sound escaped.

"Luckily, Brother Ye Feng chose to leave you. With your lack of resolve, he’d only have suffered more if he’d stayed."

"No... Don’t say that—"

"What a waste of time Brother Ye Feng spent on you. Even now, he might still be waiting for you to save him. But I guess that’s impossible—you don’t even have the will to try. What a devoted student you are."

"No... Stop it..."

"If I’d known you’d treat Brother Ye Feng like this, I should’ve been harsher. Even if he hated me for it, at least he wouldn’t have suffered your neglect. Honestly, you’re such a disappointment..."

"Shut up!!"

Li Mucheng’s suppressed emotions erupted in a desperate scream.

"I love him... I’ve always loved Teacher! After everything that happened, he understood my feelings and forgave my mistakes. Things were finally getting better—but now? I pushed him into the abyss myself! Anyone would break under that guilt! Do you have any idea how it feels to destroy the person you love?!"

"......"

Su Yuxin didn’t answer. Instead, she quietly stepped closer, took Li Mucheng’s hand, and led her to the bed.

"If you’ve made a mistake, then make it right. Just like how you apologized to Brother Ye Feng before. No matter the outcome, at least you won’t regret not trying."

"Yuxin..."

Under Su Yuxin’s shift from harshness to gentleness, Li Mucheng’s defenses crumbled. Her clarity returned as her emotions poured out.

"What... What should I do?"

"I think you know better than I do. After all, you’re the one who received Brother Ye Feng’s guidance. That’s why I came to you."

"Okay... I understand."

Li Mucheng nodded, a plan already forming in her mind. But she knew her current state—she could barely take care of herself, let alone search for Ye Feng. Gripping Su Yuxin’s hand tightly, she whispered,

"Thank you, Yuxin. I never thought... we’d talk like this again."

"Honestly, neither did I. We used to be so close, remember?"

Su Yuxin smiled faintly, as if recalling something bittersweet.

"But after Brother Ye Feng came into the picture, everything fell apart. When I found out you had feelings for him too, I was furious for no reason. But in the end, you’re the one who made me face the truth."

Li Mucheng blinked in disbelief. "Me? But... why would you think that?"

Su Yuxin rolled her eyes. "Because you slapped sense into me! If you hadn’t, Xie Yuyan would’ve gotten her hands on Brother Ye Feng by now. Her methods are way more ruthless than ours!"

"I know... Xie Yuyan is... efficient but extreme."

"And I’m certain that if I’d helped her that day, Brother Ye Feng would’ve despised me forever. Xie Yuyan only sees people as stepping stones—my help would’ve just been a tool for her."

"But... doesn’t it bother you? You could’ve used my confusion to search for Teacher alone. You know all of us—even Shen Mengli—want him for ourselves."

"Of course it bothers me! I’d love for Brother Ye Feng to be mine alone. But let’s be real—none of us will ever give up on him. And in this endless competition, he’ll only grow to resent us. Didn’t you hear what he said before he fell?"

"Right... He said he was tired."

Only now did Li Mucheng truly grasp Ye Feng’s words. He’d made it clear—this life wasn’t what he wanted. He’d rather throw himself into the river than stay on that cliff a second longer.

"Exactly. Brother Ye Feng is sick of our fighting. In all this, he’s the one who suffered the most. He kept considering our feelings, while we, wrapped up in his kindness, ignored his. Don’t forget... he’s a person too. He deserves his own life."

"Yuxin, you..."

Li Mucheng was stunned by Su Yuxin’s calm acceptance.

"You’re wondering why I’m so composed now, aren’t you?"

Su Yuxin gave a bitter smile.

"After coming down from the mountain, I kept searching for Brother Ye Feng. Seeing how exhausted he looked on that cliff... it reminded me of our past. Back then, I was the one comforting him. He told me he wanted a life of his own. And..."

She glanced at the window, then at the closed door behind her, before leaning in to whisper in Li Mucheng’s ear.

"I think... Brother Ye Feng is hiding something from us..."