Everything Is Too Late

"Rustle..."

The sound of grass rustling clearly revealed a slender figure darting through the bushes, swift as a passing breeze.

To avoid detection, Xie Yuyan chose to act alone. This not only minimized the risk of being discovered but also allowed her to rely on her strong survival and stealth skills to locate Ye Feng's current whereabouts.

However, what Xie Yuyan hadn’t anticipated was whether the situation between Shen Mengli and Ye Feng was mere coincidence or part of a premeditated plan.

If it were a coincidence, the explanation seemed far too forced. Whether it was Ye Feng’s actions at the cliff or Shen Mengli’s sudden disappearance at the orphanage, all these clues seemed to scream at Xie Yuyan that this was intentional.

Yet, having spent time with Ye Feng, Xie Yuyan couldn’t bring herself to believe he would treat her—or the other two—this way.

Ye Feng... there must be a reason, right? I refuse to believe you’d make such a choice. I promise I won’t lose my temper like before. I’ll be obedient. Please, just come out and see me...

Xie Yuyan’s head drooped low, her spirits sinking. Every time she imagined Shen Mengli and Ye Feng living the life that should have been hers, her heart ached as if bleeding. She knew the consequences were of her own making. If only she had realized sooner, would things have turned out differently?

But it was all too late now...

As she ventured deeper into the mountains, the surroundings grew thick with weeds and trees, an environment clearly unfit for human habitation. Realizing she had been lost in thought, Xie Yuyan quickly refocused on her search for Ye Feng.

"It seems there’s no point searching this area further. If he had the time and means to buy ingredients, it means wherever he’s staying must have provisions for cooking and living—likely a small cabin, or at the very least, a cave."

Muttering to herself, Xie Yuyan deduced the possible locations of Ye Feng and Shen Mengli, continuing her pursuit.

"Mucheng, should we really just wait here? What if Shen Mengli already knows we’re here the moment we arrived at the village?"

Perched on a hill not far from the village, Su Yuxin observed the village entrance through binoculars. After discussing with Li Mucheng, they had decided to maintain a safe distance—close enough to monitor the village’s surroundings but prepared to act in case of emergency.

"Yuxin, I don’t know what’s going on either. To be safe, we should proceed cautiously. Remember, we’ve already lost one chance. We can’t afford to waste any more."

"Mm."

......

"Sigh..."

Inside the cabin, Ye Feng sat on a wooden chair, his attention fixed on the door. It had been several minutes since Shen Mengli left. Now, every task requiring exposure fell to her, while he could do nothing but wait. The thought filled him with guilt. In his mind, Shen Mengli had always been the one he took care of. But ever since her legs healed, their roles had reversed—a change he still hadn’t grown accustomed to.

"The firewood in the shed is running low. Maybe I should chop some now. As long as I don’t leave the cabin... I wonder how Xie Yuyan and the others are doing..."

Shaking his head, Ye Feng tried to dispel the distracting thoughts. He was no longer bound by the system’s demands—there was no need to dwell on these questions anymore.

"Ah..."

With a heavy sigh, Ye Feng rose from the chair and slowly made his way to the woodshed.

As soon as he stepped inside, his eyes fell on the half-finished corn soup from the morning. Worried that Shen Mengli might exhaust herself on the journey, he decided to reheat it to help her recover. Grabbing the matches from the stove, he lit the fire and warmed the soup. Then, picking up an axe nearby, he began splitting the logs piled in the shed.

Given Shen Mengli’s petite frame, they had been using pre-chopped firewood. Now, with time to spare, Ye Feng busied himself with the task.

"Thud... thud..."

"Hm?"

Meanwhile, Xie Yuyan, having navigated the rugged mountain terrain, unexpectedly crested a hill. A faint sound reached her ears from below.

Following the noise, her sharp eyes trembled—as if she had stumbled upon a monumental secret. For a moment, she even forgot to breathe.

Before her lay not just an open grassy field but also a small wooden cabin. And the sound was coming from inside.

For some reason, Xie Yuyan’s expression grew tense as she stared at the cabin. This wasn’t like her usual composed self—it was as if she already knew the answer she sought lay within those walls.

After a brief hesitation, she took a step toward the cabin.

"Tap... tap... tap..."

With each step, the distance closed until she found herself standing right at the cabin’s doorstep.

Fresh footprints around the entrance made her hold her breath, not daring to make a sound. From inside came the rhythmic splitting of wood—someone was clearly chopping something.

Ye... Ye Feng... is it you? Are you inside this cabin?

Quietly moving to the window, Xie Yuyan peered inside. The interior was simple, furnished with plain necessities, but the chopping sound didn’t come from this room—it seemed to originate from next door.

The truth was unraveling piece by piece as Xie Yuyan drew closer, and soon, she would finally have her answer.

"Thud."

With the last log split, Ye Feng straightened, hands on his hips, exhaling deeply. Though the physical exertion was nothing to him, the effort was undeniable.

Hmm, the corn soup should be ready by now. I’ll wait for Mengli to return so we can have it together.

Just as he turned to extinguish the stove’s flame, he noticed a long shadow cast across the wall in front of him.

At first, he assumed Shen Mengli had returned. Without turning around, he called out, "Mengli, you’re back so soon? Put your things down and have some soup to warm up. The mountain air can be chilly—easy to catch a cold."

But the response wasn’t Shen Mengli’s sweet voice.

Only silence.