It's Not Your Fault

After bidding farewell to Su Yuxin, Li Mucheng tidied herself up briefly before boarding her private car and arriving at a hidden basement not far from the estate.

Passing through layers of security under the protection of her bodyguards, she finally stood before a door.

"How has she been lately?"

Li Mucheng turned to the bodyguard trailing behind her and asked.

"Well..."

The bodyguard hesitated, a flicker of panic flashing in his eyes, but under Li Mucheng's imposing presence, he revealed the truth.

"Ever since we brought this lady to the residence, she has remained the same as she was on the mountain that day. The meals we delivered were never touched, and even when we sent maids in to persuade her, she ignored us entirely. According to the maids who returned... her eyes looked lifeless, as if all light had faded—it was quite unsettling."

"......"

Li Mucheng nodded. She didn’t blame anyone for this. She understood Xie Yuyan’s state of mind—had it not been for Su Yuxin’s arrival today, she herself might still be in the same condition. The reason she had arranged for Xie Yuyan to be brought here was twofold: first, Xie Yuyan’s combat skills were formidable, and without strict precautions, any incident could escalate dangerously. Second, at the moment Ye Feng fell off the cliff, he had told her not to make things difficult for Xie Yuyan. And most importantly, Xie Yuyan knew far more about Ye Feng than the others did.

"Give me today’s meal. I’ll go in and talk to her."

"Miss, that’s not advisable! Although that woman seems stable now, she’s still an extremely dangerous individual. If you go in recklessly and the master finds out, he’ll surely stop you!"

"It’s simple—just don’t tell my father, then."

"Miss!"

"Enough. Hand me the meal. I won’t repeat myself."

"Yes..."

Under Li Mucheng’s pressure, the bodyguard reluctantly handed her the prepared meal box, then, at her insistence, unlocked the fingerprint-secured door with a resigned sigh.

Clunk.

As the fingerprint scanner verified her identity, the door swung open. Without hesitation, Li Mucheng turned the knob and stepped inside, leaving behind an anxious bodyguard at the door...

Tap, tap, tap.

The sound of Li Mucheng’s light footsteps echoed as she surveyed the room’s layout. The materials of the walls and floor, along with the decorations—flowers, paintings, and frames—all reflected the luxury of the residence. Even the lighting was warm and soothing, preventing any sense of unease despite the basement setting.

As she ventured deeper into the room, Li Mucheng noticed that everything—from the living room sofa to the recliners in the viewing area—remained untouched. The only signs of disturbance were faint muddy footprints near the master bedroom, making the place seem otherwise brand new.

Li Mucheng didn’t need to guess—those footprints were undoubtedly left by Xie Yuyan pacing back and forth. It seemed she was still in the same state as she had been on the mountain...

Truthfully, Li Mucheng had never interacted directly with Xie Yuyan before. Now that she was here to speak with her, a trace of apprehension crept in. But her longing for Ye Feng had already consumed every corner of her heart, and the courage it summoned propelled her forward into the bedroom.

Pushing open the bedroom door, Li Mucheng immediately spotted a red-haired woman sitting slumped on the cold floor, knees hugged tightly to her chest. In stark contrast, the plush bed beside her showed no signs of having been used.

Li Mucheng’s heart clenched. She hadn’t expected Xie Yuyan to choose the hard floor over the bed—though perhaps it was due to the mud still clinging to her. But none of that mattered now.

Her primary reason for coming here today was Ye Feng.

"Xie Yuyan."

Li Mucheng called her name softly, but the other woman gave no response, as if lost in some private reverie.

"Xie Yuyan... are you alright?"

Li Mucheng tried again, this time with concern. Any reaction would mean her approach was working, however slowly. But the result disappointed her—Xie Yuyan merely glanced up in faint surprise before lowering her head again.

"Xie Yuyan, let’s talk, okay? Staying like this won’t solve anything."

Li Mucheng set the meal box down on a nearby table, then took another step closer. Strangely, the murderous aura Xie Yuyan had once radiated—which had once made her tremble—now seemed subdued.

"Xie Yuyan, can you say something? I’m not here to pick a fight or antagonize you. If you’re angry about me confining you here, I apologize."

With that, Li Mucheng bowed deeply, her tone and demeanor nothing but respectful.

"......"

Yet Xie Yuyan remained silent, burying her face even deeper.

Li Mucheng sighed softly and walked steadily to Xie Yuyan’s side. "Xie Yuyan, pull yourself together. There are things I need to ask you."

Sensing Li Mucheng’s presence, Xie Yuyan lifted her head from her arms, revealing piercing blue eyes that locked onto Li Mucheng’s. After a long pause, she finally spoke in a hoarse voice:

"I have nothing to say to you... or to any of them."

"Xie Yuyan, you—cough!"

Before Li Mucheng could finish, Xie Yuyan’s eyes flashed with ferocity. In a lightning-fast motion, her hand shot out and clamped around Li Mucheng’s throat.

Cough...

Choking, Li Mucheng instinctively tried to push Xie Yuyan away—but then she noticed something. Despite the hostility in Xie Yuyan’s gaze, her breathing was uneven, as if she were forcing this aggression to drive her away.

So Li Mucheng lowered her hands and closed her eyes, struggling to speak:

"Ye Feng... still needs you."

!!!

At the mention of Ye Feng, Xie Yuyan froze as if struck. Her grip slackened instantly, and Li Mucheng gasped for air, clutching her throat.

"You... what did you say? Ye Feng needs me?"

"Yes. He needs you."

Li Mucheng didn’t react to Xie Yuyan’s roughness. Once she caught her breath, she continued calmly.

"Xie Yuyan, we’re not enemies—at least not now. You know exactly what happened on that cliff. It was my fault that Ye Feng was hurt, so the responsibility lies with me. For that... I apologize."

Just as Li Mucheng braced for Xie Yuyan to spiral further at her apology, the red-haired woman surprised her by shaking her head.

"No... it wasn’t your fault..."