Condiments on Chopsticks

“M-Miss? S-Stop! Don’t eat it! I was just joking, I didn’t mean for you to actually eat it!”

Ye Feng said hurriedly as he grabbed a glass of water from the table and handed it to Li Mucheng.

“Quick! Drink some water!”

“No!”

Li Mucheng covered her mouth with one hand, trying not to spit out the wasabi in her mouth. Her eyes were already tearing up from the intense sting.

“My dear, please just spit it out, okay?”

If Li Jing found out about this, Ye Feng would surely be accused of playing a cruel joke on his daughter. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ye Feng urged Li Mucheng to spit out the wasabi.

“Mmm... ha...”

Li Mucheng endured the discomfort and eventually swallowed the wasabi completely, even managing to smile afterward.

“Teacher... I ate it all~”

With that, Li Mucheng opened her mouth wide, showing that the wasabi was indeed gone.

“I-I see! Now drink the water!”

Ye Feng didn’t even bother checking if there was any wasabi left in her mouth. He quickly handed the glass to Li Mucheng.

Li Mucheng took the glass and gulped down the water, finally catching her breath after a few moments.

“Phew... Why are you so stubborn? You actually ate the wasabi! Aren’t you afraid of hurting yourself?”

Despite Ye Feng’s scolding, Li Mucheng remained unfazed. She looked at him calmly and said, “I’ll listen to whatever you say, Teacher.”

“Huh? Miss, that’s not something you should say! What do you mean you’ll listen to whatever I say? You need to think for yourself. I’m just your teacher, here to guide your studies. You’re the one who has to make the decisions.”

“Then, would you ever harm me, Teacher?”

Li Mucheng’s dark eyes stared straight at Ye Feng.

“Of course not! Why would I ever harm you?”

“Then that settles it. Since you wouldn’t harm me, I’ll naturally listen to you.”

“Ah! You...”

Ye Feng pointed at Li Mucheng, at a loss for words, and eventually gave up.

“Fine, Miss, as long as you’re happy.”

Seeing that Ye Feng couldn’t win against her, Li Mucheng smiled faintly and turned her attention to the damp tip of Ye Feng’s chopsticks. During the wasabi incident, she had meticulously licked off every trace of wasabi from the chopsticks, leaving only her own scent behind.

Her stubbornness was just a way to keep Ye Feng’s attention on her, so that when he ate later, his food would carry her flavor.

Teacher... I really want to get closer to you. You’ll never be anyone else’s teacher—you’ll always be mine alone~

“Alright, Teacher, the food’s getting cold. Let’s eat.”

With that, Li Mucheng began eating the dishes on the table. Ye Feng said nothing more and picked up his chopsticks to join her.

Although Li Mucheng appeared to be enjoying her meal, her attention was secretly focused on Ye Feng. Only when Ye Feng, unaware of her gaze, put the chopsticks into his mouth did she allow herself a satisfied smile.

“Teacher.”

“Hmm?”

“How’s the food? Does it suit your taste?”

“Yeah! I have to say, it’s really delicious!”

Having never eaten such a lavish meal before, Ye Feng was thoroughly enjoying himself. He quickly forgot about the wasabi incident and kept stuffing his mouth with the delicious food.

Li Mucheng’s cheeks flushed as she watched him eat. She placed a piece of beef in her mouth and said, “I’m glad you like it, Teacher. Consider this my way of thanking you.”

It seems the extra seasoning I added really pleased him. I wonder when I’ll get to cook the main dish for him myself? I’m so looking forward to it~

“Ugh... I’m... I’m full! Thanks for the meal!”

Ye Feng eventually collapsed onto the table, feeling a pang of regret at not being able to finish all the expensive dishes.

“Are you full, Teacher? There’s still so much food left.”

“I’m stuffed, I can’t eat another bite.”

Ye Feng waved his hand and took a deep breath. He had eaten too quickly and was now feeling overly full. All he wanted was to rest for a while.

Li Mucheng didn’t rush Ye Feng to start the lesson. Instead, she quietly stayed by his side, even subtly moving her chair a little closer to his.

For her, the lesson wasn’t the main focus anymore. What truly mattered was spending time with Ye Feng, even if they did nothing at all.

“Teacher, can you teach me some other skills?”

“Other skills? What do you want to learn?”

“I want to learn... counter-surveillance!”

“Counter-surveillance? That’s not a problem, but Miss, why do you want to learn that? I think stealth would be more useful for you.”

“It’s... it’s because... I want to protect myself better!”

Li Mucheng nodded firmly.

“Think about it, Teacher. If one day I’m being followed and I don’t even realize it, that could be really dangerous! If I only know stealth, I’d be in the open while the enemy is hidden. There’d be no chance to use it.”

“That’s true...”

Ye Feng nodded thoughtfully after hearing Li Mucheng’s explanation. Upon reflection, her reasoning made sense.

“Alright then! Starting today, we’ll focus on counter-surveillance.”

“Great!”

Seeing that Ye Feng had agreed to her request, Li Mucheng immediately pressed a button and stood up eagerly.

“Teacher, let’s start right now. Someone will take care of the leftover food.”

“Oh... okay...”

Though he didn’t understand why Li Mucheng was in such a hurry, Ye Feng followed her out of the room.

Whatever, this is part of what I’m supposed to teach anyway. Maybe she just wants to learn these skills in case she needs them someday.

If Ye Feng were to review his teaching progress, he might notice a subtle connection between the lessons on herbs and counter-surveillance. The real reason behind Li Mucheng’s sudden interest might lie within that...

“Ah... a hot bath feels so good...”

Meanwhile, Xie Yuyan had just stepped out of the bathroom. Thanks to the waterproof bandages Ye Feng had prepared, she was able to take a shower without worrying about her wounds. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to get too close to Ye Feng, fearing he’d notice the smell of sweat on her.

Water droplets rolled down Xie Yuyan’s fair skin as she carefully dried herself with a towel. If Ye Feng were here, he’d recognize the towel as his own.

“Mmm...”

Xie Yuyan held the towel to her nose and took a deep breath, letting out a contented sigh.

“Hehe... Ye Feng’s scent... so nice~”