Feeding Rice Porridge

Seeing Shen Mengli almost pressing her face close to his, Ye Feng had no choice but to lean back slightly.

"Mengli... There's no need to be so worked up, right? As you can see, the wounds on my body have healed. Something as simple as eating doesn’t require your attention."

"......"

After Ye Feng finished speaking, he reached out to take the bowl of porridge, but when he noticed the light in Shen Mengli's eyes dimming, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

"I understand."

Shen Mengli replied in a subdued tone before handing the porridge to Ye Feng.

"Xiao Feng must think I’m being too presumptuous, right? Well, that’s fair... But for me, these small things are all I can do to ease your suffering. If you don’t like it, I won’t do it anymore."

As she spoke, her lowered eyes and fragile demeanor didn’t escape Ye Feng’s notice. Realizing his words had been misunderstood, he quickly tried to explain.

"No, Mengli, I don’t dislike you at all. I just think that since you’ve just returned, what you need most is proper rest. You’ve been working so hard because of me these past few days, so I said those things—not because I want to push you away."

"R-Really?"

"Absolutely!"

"Mm..."

Shen Mengli let out a soft hum and pulled the porridge back into her arms.

"Even so, it’s no use! Taking care of you is something I do willingly. Even if you try to stop me, I won’t listen."

"But Mengli, your health—"

"I’m perfectly fine! You don’t need to worry about me!"

Shen Mengli didn’t want to dance around the issue any longer. She knew Ye Feng’s reluctance stemmed from embarrassment. After all, he had always been the one caring for her before—now that their roles were reversed, it was only natural he’d feel awkward.

But she wasn’t about to give him a chance to refuse. Scooping up a spoonful of porridge, she blew on it to cool it down before bringing it to his lips.

"Come on, Xiao Feng, do we really need to stand on ceremony like this? You took care of me before—now it’s my turn to take care of you."

"Mengli, I’m really touched by what you’re doing, but there’s no need to feed me. Look, I’ve almost fully recovered—I’m practically bursting with energy!"

To prove his point, Ye Feng flexed his arms in front of her, but Shen Mengli’s gaze remained fixed on his lips.

Gulp.

Ye Feng swallowed hard. Having spent so much time with her, he knew exactly how stubborn she could be—once she set her mind on something, she’d see it through no matter what.

"Xiao Feng, I won’t back down on this, you know~"

Seeing that Ye Feng still resisted, Shen Mengli decided to stop wasting time. Without hesitation, she took the spoonful of porridge into her own mouth.

Huh? Did Mengli give up? But why would she say that...?

While Ye Feng was still puzzled, Shen Mengli didn’t swallow the porridge. Instead, in the blink of an eye, she cupped his cheek with one hand and pressed her lips against his.

"!!!!"

Only when the warmth of the porridge spread in his mouth did Ye Feng snap back to reality. He immediately covered his lips, staring at Shen Mengli in disbelief.

"Mmm..."

After savoring the remnants of the porridge, Shen Mengli blinked playfully at him.

"So? How does it taste?"

"Meng Li! You—!"

Ye Feng barely managed a few words before realizing that if he opened his mouth any wider, the porridge would spill out. He quickly bent forward, intending to spit it out, but Shen Mengli had anticipated this. Watching his reaction, she didn’t stop him—instead, she simply licked her lips and stirred the porridge in the bowl.

"Go ahead and spit it out if you want, Xiao Feng. After all, there’s plenty more in the bowl~"

Cough! Gulp!

Ye Feng choked on her words and ended up swallowing the porridge. With no other choice, he shot her a resentful glare before reluctantly letting it slide down his throat.

Only when she saw his Adam’s apple bob did Shen Mengli smile in satisfaction. Then, she scooped up another spoonful and held it out to him.

"Mengli, I already did what you asked—why are you still doing this?"

"Xiao Feng, you still don’t get it. Between letting me feed you and letting me feed you, you only have one choice, okay~?"

"......"

Sensing that she might have been too forceful, Shen Mengli softened her tone.

"Xiao Feng, after everything I’ve done for you these past few days, can’t you just indulge me in this one little request?"

Under the intensity of her gaze, Ye Feng quickly averted his eyes. He knew that if he met her stare, he’d lose all willpower, as if his soul had been hooked.

"Sigh... Mengli, it’s not that I’m wary of you. I just think these trivial things aren’t worth troubling you over. Besides, given how I am now, isn’t this kind of feeding a little... improper?"

"I don’t care about rules and propriety. There’s no one here to judge you—I’m just doing what I should. So don’t overthink it, okay? You’re not living for anyone else right now. Just think about yourself."

"Mengli..."

"Alright, if we keep talking, the porridge will get cold. Whatever you have to say, can it wait until after you’ve eaten?"

"...Fine."

Seeing that Ye Feng had finally relented after her persistence, Shen Mengli happily narrowed her eyes and fed him another spoonful. Only when he stopped resisting did she settle down.

After another bite, she struck up a conversation.

"So, Xiao Feng? How’s the porridge? Does it taste good?"

"Yeah, it’s delicious."

Having gone without food for two days, Ye Feng wasn’t picky—even plain porridge was enough to warm his stomach.

"But Mengli, I’m worried."

"Worried? About what?"

"About you."

Ye Feng poked her forehead lightly. Though her adoring gaze moved him, he knew that despite her body being whole again, her long period of inactivity meant she couldn’t possibly be as strong as he was. He didn’t want to harm her health for his own sake.