No Matter the Outcome

After Li Mucheng and the others left, Shen Mengli and Ye Feng also began making their way toward the village. As they walked, the two engaged in conversation.

"Mengli, did Xie Yuyan give you any trouble?"

"Not at all~"

Shen Mengli shook her head, nestling closer to Ye Feng’s arm as she murmured,

"Xie Yuyan just talked to me about the mistakes she made before. Most of it was her apologizing and admitting her faults."

"R-really?"

"Mhm. Though Xie Yuyan seems remorseful now, it’s still too early to say for sure. I won’t allow her near you until I’m certain she won’t hurt you."

"I see..."

"What? Can’t bear to see Xie Yuyan looking so sad?"

"Mengli, don’t say things like that! I’m just surprised by how much she’s changed. You know how extreme she used to be—it’s hard to believe she’d turn around so quickly."

"Tch, that’s because you don’t get it, Feng."

Shen Mengli muttered under her breath before pinching Ye Feng’s arm.

"Get what?"

"It’s because you’re too soft!"

She pouted, lightly thumping his chest in frustration at his clueless reaction.

"Haven’t I told you before? Sometimes you need to be firm, or people will think they can walk all over you! Look at Xie Yuyan now—she’s behaving properly when talking to me, isn’t she?"

"Alright, alright, our Mengli is the best, okay?"

Ye Feng chuckled, pinching her cheek playfully before brushing a fallen leaf from her hair.

"Of course! With me around, no one’s getting any funny ideas about you!"

"Mhm, being with you makes me feel so safe."

"Hehe, since I’ve worked so hard today, shouldn’t I get a little reward?"

Shen Mengli’s tone shifted as she wagged her fox tail mischievously.

"Oh? So this is what you were after. Fine, what do you want?"

Ye Feng assumed she’d ask for something simple—like accompanying her somewhere or staying in the mountains a few more days.

"Mm... three times! No, five! Wait, that’s still not enough... eek!"

Before she could finish mumbling to herself, Ye Feng rapped her lightly on the head.

"Ow! Why’d you hit me for no reason?!"

"No reason? Mengli, listen to yourself. Don’t think I didn’t catch your drift—none of your word games."

"Hmph, you’re the one misunderstanding me!"

"Misunderstanding?! Alright, then explain what you really meant. If you can’t give a proper answer, you’re in for it!"

"I just meant... the number of times you’d take me back to the orphanage after we get home!"

Shen Mengli pouted, putting on an innocent act as if he’d truly misjudged her.

But Ye Feng knew her too well and saw right through it.

"Oh? I don’t buy that for a second. We can visit the orphanage whenever we want, can’t we?"

"Ugh... busted!"

"Honestly, I ought to scrub your brain clean. Look how far you’ve fallen."

"Well, it’s your fault... you’re just too addicting. And if you really want to empty my mind, go ahead—that just means more space to fill with you~"

Now fully dropping the act, Shen Mengli gazed at Ye Feng like a starved wolf, her love laid bare. Ye Feng quickly decided to end the conversation.

"Ahem... Mengli, let’s focus on dinner instead."

......

"Yuxin, what’s wrong? Things with the teacher didn’t go badly today—at least he didn’t seem impatient."

In the car on the way back, Li Mucheng noticed Su Yuxin resting her chin on her hand, staring gloomily out the window, and tried to comfort her.

"Mucheng, I know the teacher’s attitude wasn’t too bad, but I’m just... scared."

Su Yuxin turned her head, listlessly tugging at her pants.

"I’m afraid Ye Feng might disappear again, just like before."

"So that’s what’s worrying you. Don’t be—the teacher wouldn’t do that."

"R-really? I was even thinking of having someone watch the cabin. If he tries to leave, I could stop him in time."

"No! Yuxin, you can’t do that. The fact that the teacher was willing to talk to us today and open up means there’s still room to work things out. If we push him too hard and make him uncomfortable, it’ll backfire. Right now, we need to trust him, not let our fears take over. Understand?"

"Mm..."

"Li Mucheng’s right. We should wait and see, not panic and ruin things."

Xie Yuyan, who had been silent until now, spoke up, her eyes tinged with something complicated.

"Yeah."

Pleased by Xie Yuyan’s agreement, Li Mucheng smiled at her before continuing.

"Did you notice? When the teacher was explaining his situation earlier, he mentioned a 'method'—something that could free him from this ordeal. But he brushed past it quickly."

"So you caught that too."

Xie Yuyan sighed softly, recounting her private conversation with Shen Mengli in the room. After she finished, the car fell into heavy silence.

Finally, Su Yuxin broke it. "I’ll help too! Whatever it takes to save Ye Feng, I’ll do it. I won’t let him vanish again."

"Same here. I never expected Shen Mengli would cooperate with us, though. If it were me, I’d want to keep the teacher all to myself."

Li Mucheng clenched her fists, clearly surprised by Xie Yuyan’s revelation.

"But we should be careful. Shen Mengli might be hiding something. Right now, the teacher trusts her more than any of us."

"True. Once Ye Feng returns, we’ll find a time to discuss this together. No matter the cost, I’ll help him overcome this danger. Whatever it takes..."