Call Everyone Together

"Wuu..."

Ye Feng hadn't expected that after his attempts to comfort her, Shen Mengli not only failed to stop crying but became even more heartbroken.

"Xiao Feng... Wuu... Waaah..."

Feeling his clothes dampened by her tears, Ye Feng let out a deep sigh. Nevertheless, he continued patting Shen Mengli's back and pulled her into his embrace, speaking in a gentle tone, "Don't cry anymore, Mengli. Haven’t you always wanted me to tell you the truth? If you keep crying, I might just change my mind."

"Mmm... No... Don’t!"

Shen Mengli frantically shook her head, clearly showing how much this matter meant to her. She was terrified that any carelessness might cause her to miss something important.

"I... I won’t cry anymore. Xiao Feng, please don’t hate me, okay?"

"Silly, how could I ever hate you?"

Ye Feng chuckled and lightly tapped Shen Mengli’s nose before finally checking the wound on her neck. Fortunately, she hadn’t hurt herself badly—just a small scratch that would heal in a few days.

"I know you acted this way because you care about me, but I just didn’t want you all dragged into this mess."

"I don’t care about any of that! You were the one who pulled me out of that bottomless abyss. Now it’s my turn to save you."

"......"

Seeing Shen Mengli’s stubborn determination, Ye Feng knew further arguments would be futile. The situation was already set in stone, and he suspected her sudden resolve must have something to do with the other girls.

"Let’s go eat. After we rest, I’ll tell you everything."

"You promised, Xiao Feng! No taking it back!"

With Ye Feng’s assurance, Shen Mengli gradually returned to her usual lively and adorable self. She immediately looped her arm through his and led him out of the bedroom.

"Mmm~ It smells so good~"

Leaning over the table where the freshly cooked dishes were laid out, Shen Mengli sniffed lightly, her face lighting up with delight.

"Come on, you didn’t act like this when the food was just ready, did you?"

Ye Feng knew full well she was trying to cheer him up, so he playfully rapped his knuckles against her head.

"Hehe~ Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little, but Xiao Feng’s cooking really is delicious~"

With that, Shen Mengli picked up Ye Feng’s bowl, filled it with rice, and handed it to him.

"It’s dinnertime now, Xiao Feng. Let’s eat~"

"Mm, you should eat too, Mengli."

Watching Shen Mengli pick up her chopsticks, Ye Feng’s earlier frustration faded. With the weight in his heart about to be revealed, he even felt somewhat lighter. Though he couldn’t predict how things would unfold once Shen Mengli learned his secret.

Just as Ye Feng zoned out, a pair of chopsticks placed a slice of meat into his bowl. When he looked up, he saw Shen Mengli smiling at him, the tip of her chopsticks still between her lips.

"Xiao Feng, stop thinking about unpleasant things. This is our time together, and I won’t let your mind wander anywhere else."

"Alright."

Ye Feng nodded, and the two enjoyed a pleasant dinner together.

......

"Yuyan, you’re not eating anymore?"

Li Mucheng glanced at the leftover food in Xie Yuyan’s bowl, then up at her slightly furrowed brows, and asked with concern.

"Yeah, sorry, Mucheng. The food is delicious, but I just don’t have much appetite."

Xie Yuyan apologized, her gaze drifting to her phone on the table. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable discomfort, as if something heavy was pressing on her chest.

"Yuyan, you should take a break these next few days. Didn’t Shen Mengli say she was resting too? Use this time to relax."

"Mucheng, thank you, but I—"

Before Xie Yuyan could finish, her phone suddenly rang. Both of them fell silent, their attention snapping to the device.

After a moment, Li Mucheng studied Xie Yuyan’s dazed expression and whispered, "Is it Shen Mengli?"

"Yeah..."

Xie Yuyan nodded faintly and picked up the phone, but she hesitated to answer.

"But Shen Mengli said she wouldn’t call me for a while. What if Ye Feng found out I secretly contacted her with this phone? If I answer, will he start hating me?"

So that’s it...

Without another thought, Li Mucheng stepped forward, snatched the phone from Xie Yuyan’s hand, and pressed the answer button.

"Mu—"

Xie Yuyan tried to speak, but Li Mucheng raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence.

She knew Li Mucheng was sacrificing herself for her sake, and the gratitude only deepened her regret for her past mistakes.

"Hello?"

Li Mucheng spoke first, waiting for Ye Feng’s voice. But the next second left her stunned—the voice on the other end was still Shen Mengli’s.

"Li Mucheng? Why are you answering?"

"I... I didn’t expect it to be you either. Never mind that—what’s the matter?"

"Yeah, I have something very important to tell you all. It’s about Xiao Feng."

Hearing the seriousness in Shen Mengli’s voice, laced with a hint of sorrow, Li Mucheng’s heart sank.

Had Shen Mengli discovered some critical secret about their teacher?

Not daring to pry further, Li Mucheng quickly replied, "Alright, what’s the plan?"

"I’ll come to the manor tomorrow. Gather everyone."

"Got it. What about the teacher—"

"Xiao Feng is fine for now. That’s all for today. I’ll hang up."

"Okay..."

Li Mucheng lowered the phone, her face blank, and met Xie Yuyan’s questioning gaze.

"What happened? What did Shen Mengli say?"

"She said... she has something important to tell us tomorrow and wants everyone there."

"Something important... Could it be...?"

"Yeah, it must be about the teacher! If even Shen Mengli is this tense, it can’t be anything simple."

"It seems the thing I feared most is finally happening..."

Though Xie Yuyan spoke these words, she felt a strange sense of relief—as if she’d anticipated this all along. Or perhaps she was just glad the call hadn’t come from Ye Feng.