A Misunderstanding of Gazes

"Is this the place? It really is quite secluded."

Su Yuxin gazed at the wooden cabin with smoke curling from its chimney in the distance, then glanced around at the densely forested hills, murmuring to herself.

"Mm. Xiao Feng and I live here. But he told me life here is much freer than when he was with you all! Don’t even think about taking him away from me!"

"Mengli, don’t get worked up. Didn’t we agree to talk things out calmly?"

Li Mucheng tried to soothe Shen Mengli, knowing full well how guarded she had been throughout their journey. But it was understandable—after all, they had hurt Ye Feng more than once.

"Hmph, I hope so. But if you dare scheme against Xiao Feng or me, I won’t let you off!"

With that, Shen Mengli tossed her head and strode toward the cabin, her only thought being to see Ye Feng as soon as possible. After all, inside that cabin lurked the most dangerous presence of all.

Just as the three of them approached, they suddenly heard Ye Feng’s voice from within.

"Ye Feng, don’t move."

"It’s fine, Xie Yuyan. It’s just a minor thing..."

"Fine? It’s serious! Stay still!"

!!!!

The voices from inside froze the trio in their tracks. Su Yuxin was the first to react, nudging Li Mucheng with her elbow.

"Xie Yuyan sneaked ahead! I told you she couldn’t be trusted!"

"Yuxin, calm down. It might just be a misunderstanding."

Before Li Mucheng could finish, Shen Mengli bolted inside without a backward glance.

"Come on, hurry!"

......

"See? I told you your ankle was sprained. I noticed it earlier."

Xie Yuyan knelt before Ye Feng, examining his swollen ankle.

"It’s red and inflamed. You need a cold compress."

Before she could stand, a slender figure burst through the door, accompanied by Shen Mengli’s furious cry: "Xie Yuyan, what are you doing to Xiao Feng?!"

"Eh? Mengli?"

"Xiao Feng?"

The commotion at the door left the three of them staring at one another. For a moment, the room seemed frozen in time.

Su Yuxin and Li Mucheng followed Shen Mengli inside, but their obstructed view meant the scene they saw was entirely different from Ye Feng’s. The cabin was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

"Mucheng, Yuxin? You’re here too..."

Ye Feng tried to greet them, but aside from Xie Yuyan’s composed expression, the other three wore looks of panic, resentment, and heartbreak.

"What’s wrong with all of you? Why—"

"Wuu..."

A sob shattered the silence—Shen Mengli, her eyes red and tears on the verge of spilling over.

"Wh-why, Xiao Feng? How could you do this to me? After everything I’ve done... why?"

"Mengli, you—"

"Why?!"

Shen Mengli glared at Xie Yuyan, who remained impassive, but to her, that calmness felt like mockery.

"Xie Yuyan! I’ll fight you!"

Driven to madness by the day’s events and the heart-wrenching scene before her, Shen Mengli lost all reason. She raised the fruit knife in her hand and charged at Xie Yuyan—only to freeze mid-step when she finally saw the full picture.

"Mengli, it’s a misunderstanding. Calm down, okay? Look how much you’re crying. Come here."

Only when Ye Feng said "come here" did Shen Mengli snap out of it. With a pout, she pushed past Xie Yuyan and threw herself into Ye Feng’s arms.

"Wuu... Xiao Feng, you scared me to death!"

"Sorry, sorry. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this. Are you okay?"

"I’m fine... but what about you?"

"I’m fine too. You’ve had a long day."

"Wuu..."

The other three watched as Shen Mengli clung to Ye Feng, their eyes flickering with unreadable emotions before they steadied themselves. They knew things were different now—Shen Mengli was undeniably the closest to Ye Feng.

Though they had braced themselves for this, seeing it still stung.

Xie Yuyan tactfully stood and stepped back. An unspoken understanding settled among them as they quietly waited for Ye Feng and Shen Mengli to compose themselves.

"Alright, it’s over. We can’t change what’s happened, understand? It’s time I faced it."

"No... Xiao Feng, I don’t want to..."

"Mengli, be good, okay? I think it’s time to end this."

"Wuu..."

Shen Mengli buried her face deeper into Ye Feng’s chest, refusing to let go. With a helpless sigh, he patted the back of her head and addressed the three at the door.

"Long time no see, Mucheng, Yuxin."

"Hello, Teacher."

"Hello, Brother Ye Feng."

"Mm, have a seat. There are things I need to come clean about."

Li Mucheng was the first to respond, stepping forward while trying not to let Shen Mengli distract her. "Teacher, we also have things we’d like to discuss."

"Perfect. We all have our share to say. It seems everything can be settled today. Sit."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Li Mucheng nodded politely, and the others followed suit. But they couldn’t shake their discomfort at Shen Mengli’s behavior—though none dared voice it in front of Ye Feng.

Ye Feng, sensing the gravity of the moment, whispered into Shen Mengli’s ear, "Mengli, stop crying, alright? Now’s the time to show you’re the lady of this house. There’s no turning back—we have to face this openly, understand?"

"Mm."

Shen Mengli let out a long, nasal hum before slowly lifting her head. Her captivating crimson eyes locked onto Ye Feng, as if she had something to say.

"Feeling better? Then, Mengli, you— Mph!?"

Before Ye Feng could gently push her away, the unthinkable happened.

Right in front of the others, Shen Mengli suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips firmly against his.

"Mmm~"

The three spectators clenched their fists on their laps, their eyes burning with resentment. Shen Mengli’s move was nothing short of a provocation—an attempt to sabotage the meeting and get her way.