We Will Definitely Bring Ye Feng Back

"Mengli?"

Ye Feng gently patted Shen Mengli's back as she lay quietly in his arms.

"Mmm..."

Shen Mengli lazily nuzzled against Ye Feng's chest, reluctant to move, the blush on her cheeks still lingering. It was obvious what had just transpired between them.

"Xiao Feng."

"What is it, Mengli? Do you want to rest? I can carry you back to bed."

"No."

Shen Mengli whispered weakly into Ye Feng's ear.

"I just... wanted to tell you something."

"What is it that’s so mysterious?"

Ye Feng glanced at her curiously, only to find her soft eyes brimming with affection.

"I... I just wanted to say..."

Her ears flushed red as she shyly blinked, her long lashes shimmering faintly.

"I love you so much ♡"

"......"

Hearing the honeyed tone that could melt his very bones, Ye Feng took a deep breath.

"Mengli, do you know how badly this kind of talk shakes my resolve?"

Shen Mengli giggled in response, even blowing a teasing breath into his ear.

"That just means my purpose is to shake your resolve, Xiao Feng~"

"Cough..."

Seeing how utterly unrepentant she was, Ye Feng abandoned any thought of reasoning with her.

"Mengli, are you trying to make life difficult for me? How dare you provoke me like this!"

"Don’t be mad, Xiao Feng. Of course I want to live happily with you."

"Then rest properly! And take your hands out of my clothes!"

"Ehehe, you caught me~"

After another bout of affectionate teasing, Shen Mengli suddenly cupped Ye Feng’s face in her hands. Locking eyes with him, she spoke earnestly, "Xiao Feng, I don’t want to lose you again."

"You won’t. Didn’t I promise I’d always stay by your side? How could you lose me?"

"But... but..."

She bit her rosy lips, hesitating as if struggling to find the right words.

Though she was happy with Ye Feng, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something from her. No matter how subtly she probed, he always deflected the topic, unwilling to share.

Given her painful past, Shen Mengli had almost no sense of security—except when she was with Ye Feng. Yet now, this unspoken secret gnawed at her heart like an unsolvable knot. She could bear it no longer and mustered the courage to confront him, knowing that silence would only deepen the rift.

"But I want to know everything about you! I can’t stand seeing you look so troubled anymore!"

Clutching his collar desperately, she seemed terrified he might vanish.

"Mengli..."

Ye Feng remained silent for a long moment, simply holding her tight before finally speaking, each word deliberate.

"What if I told you... our meeting was arranged on purpose? How would you feel?"

"Arranged?"

The question caught Shen Mengli off guard, but she quickly realized this might be the key to the secrets he’d been keeping.

"Yes. As if no matter what, we were destined to meet—but the initiative was always mine."

Supporting her slender waist to keep her from slipping, Ye Feng’s gaze burned with resolve.

If he had chosen to spend his remaining time living as he wished, did that mean he could finally reveal the truth? But would she think he had been using her?

Torn between honesty and secrecy, Ye Feng chose the former. Shen Mengli deserved to know, even if it sounded unbelievable. The so-called "system" and "missions" no longer mattered to him—he was done with them.

"Xiao Feng, I might need time to understand. Can you explain it slowly? But don’t worry!"

Suddenly, she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"Mwah~"

"I want to hear everything while lying in your arms. Because no matter what happens, I’ll stay by your side."

"Mengli..."

Her words made his nose sting with emotion. Nodding slightly, he replied in a hoarse voice,

"Okay."

"Mm!"

......

"Beep beep."

Hearing her phone ring, Li Mucheng immediately answered. Su Yuxin’s voice came through.

"Mucheng, I’ve got an update from the search team along the riverbank. They found no trace of Ye Feng—no signs of him, no wild animals, not even footprints."

"Nothing...?"

"Right. Should I have them search again?"

"No need, Yuxin. If they found nothing, another sweep won’t help. I’ll ask Xie Yuyan—maybe she has ideas."

"Alright. Keep me posted. I know Ye Feng will be fine!"

"Okay."

After hanging up, Li Mucheng hurried to Xie Yuyan’s room. A brief knock later, the door opened to reveal Xie Yuyan’s face.

"What is it, Li... Mucheng? Any news?"

"Yes. Yuxin said..."

After relaying Su Yuxin’s report word for word, Xie Yuyan’s expression turned grave.

"Something’s wrong. I think I should investigate personally."

"Now? But it’s almost sunset. Shouldn’t we go together tomorrow?"

"No, time is critical. I’ll go alone. If even the search teams found nothing, I might return empty-handed too. This is just for my own peace of mind."

"But... I’m worried something might happen to you."

Xie Yuyan gave her a surprised look, then—uncharacteristically—smiled.

"Thank you, Mucheng. I appreciate the concern. I’ll contact you if anything comes up. And..."

"I will definitely bring Ye Feng back! Believe me!"