Xiao Feng... Will He Die

"Then... be careful on your way. Call me immediately if anything happens, alright?"

At the crossroads, Ye Feng gently stroked Shen Mengli's head, his voice laced with concern.

"Okay~ You take care too, Feng."

After bidding each other farewell, they parted ways toward their respective destinations. Ye Feng couldn't help but worry whether Shen Mengli would be safe visiting Li Mucheng's estate. Yet, recalling how well Li Mucheng had been treating both him and Shen Mengli lately, he pushed those thoughts aside.

Watching Ye Feng's figure disappear into the distance, Shen Mengli's lips parted slightly, as if murmuring something. A lip-reader would have caught her whispering an apology.

"I'm sorry, Feng..."

......

"Yuyan, are you sure you don’t want to eat anything?"

Li Mucheng glanced at Xie Yuyan, who sat stiffly on the sofa with a grave expression, and couldn’t help but ask. Beside her, Su Yuxin chimed in, "Yeah, Yuyan, you should at least have a bite. Mucheng told me you’ve been up since dawn and haven’t rested at all."

"I’m fine. Don’t worry about me."

Xie Yuyan merely tossed them a reassuring look, her calm tone betraying the fact that she was mentally preparing for what lay ahead.

"Shen Mengli should be arriving soon. Everyone, be ready."

"Ugh..."

Su Yuxin, who was prone to nervousness, instinctively clutched her dress at Xie Yuyan’s words and turned to Li Mucheng for reassurance.

"Let’s trust Yuyan. No matter what happens, we’ll face it together, right?"

"Mhm."

Just as Li Mucheng squeezed Su Yuxin’s hand to soothe her, a maid approached from the hallway, bowing slightly before speaking. "Miss, your guest has arrived."

The words sent a ripple of tension through the room. Li Mucheng only snapped back to attention when she felt Su Yuxin’s fingers twitch against her palm. "Bring her in at once," she instructed.

"Yes."

After the maid retreated, light footsteps soon echoed down the hallway. The three on the sofa turned their gaze toward the sound—sure enough, it was Shen Mengli.

"Shen Mengli, you’re here."

As the hostess, Li Mucheng was the first to step forward, a welcoming smile playing on her lips.

"Good morning."

Shen Mengli responded coolly, her eyes scanning Li Mucheng up and down.

Noticing the odd scrutiny, Li Mucheng remained unruffled but couldn’t resist asking, "Is something wrong, Shen Mengli?"

"Li Mucheng, how do you feel about Feng?"

The abrupt question left everyone stunned—especially Li Mucheng, who was put on the spot.

Though puzzled by Shen Mengli’s sudden inquiry, Li Mucheng sensed an unusual patience in her tone. After a brief hesitation, she decided to voice her thoughts honestly.

"My feelings for Teacher... I’d say I’m striving to care for both his life and mine. I made grave mistakes before, and that made me realize love shouldn’t be twisted or possessive. Instead, I want to earn his acceptance with sincerity. No matter the outcome, I’m content just staying by his side, quietly protecting him."

Shen Mengli’s expression softened at Li Mucheng’s explanation. Under Li Mucheng’s puzzled gaze, she murmured, "No wonder Teacher said your progress is the fastest among us. I never expected you to be the most open-hearted."

"Huh? What do you mean by that, Shen Mengli?"

The mention of "progress" and "open-hearted" struck a nerve in Li Mucheng. Though unsure whether Shen Mengli intended any slight, her usually gentle demeanor faltered, her brow twitching slightly.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just surprised by your attitude."

"Why would that surprise you? And what’s this about 'progress'?"

"That... ties into what I learned from Feng last night."

With that, Shen Mengli stepped past Li Mucheng and stood before Xie Yuyan, locking eyes with her.

"Xie Yuyan, you were right. Feng... has been hiding things from us."

Xie Yuyan nodded thoughtfully.

"This secret must be deeply connected to all of us, right? What else is there about the system inside Ye Feng?"

Though momentarily startled by Xie Yuyan’s deduction, Shen Mengli quickly dismissed it—given Xie Yuyan’s sharp intuition, it wasn’t unexpected. Slumping onto the sofa beside her, Shen Mengli seemed resigned to an unchangeable fate.

"Feng... is going to die."

"What?!"

The shocking declaration sent the others into a collective gasp—even Xie Yuyan, who had braced herself, widened her eyes in disbelief.

"Explain properly, Shen Mengli. What exactly is happening?"

To steady the room, Xie Yuyan spoke firmly, shooting a warning glance at Li Mucheng and Su Yuxin to prevent interruptions.

Though grief threatened to overwhelm them, the two swallowed their emotions, waiting for Shen Mengli to continue.

With all eyes fixed on her, Shen Mengli repeated everything Ye Feng had confided in her the previous night. The weight of her words turned the atmosphere increasingly somber.

......

"What? How could this be?!"

Ye Feng chuckled at Wenwen, who stood with her hands on her hips, puffing her cheeks in outrage.

"Don’t be mad, Wenwen. Next time, your sister and I will take you to the beach too, okay?"

Ever since Ye Feng mentioned his seaside trip with Shen Mengli, the little girl had been sulking, forcing him into the role of a nursery teacher who comforts children.

"No way! Sister totally forgot about me! I’m really, really mad!"

"Come on, Wenwen, don’t be like that. Your sister said she went this time to scout the location for you."

"Scout the location? What does that mean?"