Better Things Are Waiting for You

Could it be that after my disappearance... they've all moved on?

Seeing the affection levels of the others besides Li Mucheng frozen at 99%, Ye Feng nodded thoughtfully.

Logically speaking, the decrease in their darkening progress meant they were heading in a better direction. In other words, they might have gradually come to terms with what happened on the cliff. Perhaps this wasn’t a bad outcome.

Just as Ye Feng thought, once everything settled into calm, there was no need for him to disturb the surface of this once-tranquil lake again.

"Hmm... maybe this is the right thing to do."

"What’s the right thing to do~?"

Suddenly, a soft voice sounded by Ye Feng’s ear, followed by Shen Mengli’s lips lightly brushing against his cheek.

Ye Feng didn’t resist—perhaps this had already become routine for him.

"Mengli, you’re awake? Did you eat the breakfast I left on the table?"

"Yep, finished it all~"

Shen Mengli leaned against Ye Feng’s back, savoring the gentle mountain breeze as waves of emotion stirred in her heart.

"Xiao Feng, what were you thinking about just now? Did you recall something unpleasant again?"

"No."

Ye Feng shook his head with a smile. He trusted Shen Mengli completely now, so he voiced his thoughts openly.

"I was just wondering... if I disappeared from their lives, maybe they wouldn’t keep clashing anymore."

Shen Mengli knew exactly who "they" referred to, but she didn’t feel displeased at Ye Feng mentioning those women. Instead, she cradled his face gently and said, "Xiao Feng, you really don’t need to overthink these complicated things. To me, you’ve never been the one causing conflicts."

"But—"

"No buts!"

Shen Mengli’s tone suddenly turned firm. She moved in front of Ye Feng, crouched down, and cupped his face with a serious expression.

"No matter what happens, I’ll always stand by your side. So please, stop dwelling on these troubling thoughts, okay? I... I don’t want to see you looking so downcast."

Ye Feng fell silent for a long moment before finally meeting Shen Mengli’s earnest gaze and murmuring, "Okay."

"Mm!"

Seeing her own reflection in Ye Feng’s eyes, the gloom in Shen Mengli’s heart dissipated like mist.

"Mengli."

Just as Shen Mengli was about to loop her arm through Ye Feng’s to head back inside, he suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

"Mm...?"

Feeling her balance shift, Shen Mengli trembled slightly but stayed perfectly still, only lifting her head to gaze at him with slightly pursed lips once she was securely nestled against him.

"X-Xiao Feng...?"

"Thank you."

"Silly Xiao Feng."

Shen Mengli opened her mouth and playfully bit Ye Feng’s neck—though it didn’t hurt at all.

"Mengli?"

"I’ll bite you to death!"

......

"Is this the river’s downstream?"

Li Mucheng frowned as she surveyed the nearly dried-up riverbank, deep in thought.

"Yes. According to the satellite map, this is where the river ends. There’s a lake further ahead, but I’ve already sent people to check—there’s no trace of Ye Feng."

"Impossible..."

After scanning the surroundings, Li Mucheng immediately dismissed the idea of continuing the search here.

"Teacher couldn’t have ended up downstream. Given the river’s flow speed, he wouldn’t have drifted this far. And based on what Yuxin just said, the most likely area would be somewhere between the midstream and mid-to-lower sections."

"True, it’s unlikely. Besides, there’s no sign of human presence here either."

Xie Yuyan narrowed her eyes slightly before suddenly turning to Li Mucheng.

"Li Mucheng, send people to search the nearest inhabited areas along this river—villages, towns, farmland, anything! I have a feeling... ever since we stepped into these mountains, I’ve sensed Ye Feng’s presence."

"Is she really that perceptive...?"

Su Yuxin muttered under her breath, her eyes widening slightly at Xie Yuyan’s confident declaration.

"Got it!"

Knowing Xie Yuyan had far more experience, Li Mucheng grew excited at the mention of sensing Ye Feng and immediately relayed orders to the bodyguards behind her.

"What should we do now?"

"We can split up and look for traces of human activity—footprints, clothing, any clues."

"Alright."

With Xie Yuyan’s clear instructions, the three fanned out in different directions. Li Mucheng headed toward the lake, Xie Yuyan searched the nearby woods along the riverbank, and Su Yuxin followed the river toward the mid-to-lower reaches.

......

Staring at the several bright red hickeys on his neck in the mirror, Ye Feng turned and glared at Shen Mengli, who was perched on a wooden chair, chin propped on her hands as she watched him intently.

"What’s wrong, Xiao Feng~?"

"How can you even ask?! Look what you did to me!"

"I just left my marks on you, that’s all~ So stingy!"

Shen Mengli swung her legs idly, her gaze never leaving Ye Feng’s neck.

"If you’re unhappy, you can do the same to me, you know~"

"Hmph..."

To her surprise, Ye Feng let out a cold laugh before striding over and looming over her, his expression unreadable as Shen Mengli tilted her head up at him from the chair.

"Seems like you still haven’t learned your lesson, Mengli."

"Lesson...?"

A shiver ran down Shen Mengli’s spine as she recalled the previous times Ye Feng had "taught" her a lesson. She braced her hands against the chair, feigning an attempt to escape—but her eyes secretly tracked his every move.

From her time with Ye Feng, she’d learned that relentless pursuit had little effect on him. After interacting with other women, he’d developed a certain resistance. If she took the initiative, the response would only serve to fill her own emotional void. So she understood that to deepen their bond and create an unbreakable connection, Ye Feng needed to take the lead himself.

Thus, Shen Mengli’s strategy was cunning—to turn the passive Ye Feng into the active one. Only by making him feel truly involved could she stir his emotions, luring him step by step into the sweet trap she’d carefully laid.

That’s it, Xiao Feng... just like that... even sweeter things await you~