The Hurdle in the Heart

"By 'scouting,' I mean getting a general overview of the seaside before actually going there, so we can gather information about the beach. That way, when we bring you, Wenwen, next time, we’ll know exactly where to spend our time playing!"

After Ye Feng’s smooth-talking, the young Wenwen quickly fell for his reasoning. With some coaxing, he finally managed to send her back to her room for a nap.

"Phew... finally done."

As Ye Feng stepped out of the room and let out a sigh of relief, he spotted the director standing before him, wearing a faint smile.

"Mr. Ye Feng, you’ve worked hard."

"Director? I wouldn’t say it was hard work. Honestly, the real respect goes to the teachers who work here at the welfare center."

"Nonsense. Just having you visit the children today is already a great help. By the way, didn’t Meng Li come with you today?"

"Yeah, Meng Li had some things to take care of. I’ll pick her up later in the evening."

"That’s wonderful. Seeing Meng Li living such a happy life with you, Mr. Ye Feng, truly warms my heart."

As she spoke, the director began wiping away tears on her own. Noticing this, Ye Feng quickly changed the subject.

"Don’t worry, Director. I’ll take good care of Meng Li. You can trust me with her."

"Thank you, Mr. Ye Feng..."

After chatting a bit more with the director, Ye Feng decided to rest in Shen Mengli’s room for the afternoon. The moment he stepped inside, memories of his time with Shen Mengli flooded his mind. Just as he was about to lie down for a short nap, he noticed a stuffed bear resting on her pillow.

"Hmm? Isn’t this... the plushie I gave Meng Li?"

Curious, Ye Feng sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the bear. Seeing its silly expression, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

Though he wasn’t sure why Shen Mengli had placed it there, the sight of it made him reflect on their serendipitous encounter.

I wonder how Meng Li’s conversation with Li Mucheng is going... Maybe I should call and check.

Without hesitation, Ye Feng took out his phone and dialed Li Mucheng’s number.

"Ring... ring..."

As the dial tone continued, Ye Feng’s brow furrowed tightly, and a sense of unease crept into his heart.

Li Mucheng usually answered his calls instantly, but this time, there was no response. Today was also the day Shen Mengli had gone to Li Mucheng’s estate—could something have gone wrong? No, I need to go check immediately. It’s been long enough; there should’ve been a reply by now.

With that thought, Ye Feng placed the bear back in its original spot. Without wasting another second, he headed out of the welfare center, bidding the director a quick farewell before rushing off to Li Mucheng’s estate...

"Permanent time... So, does that mean Brother Ye Feng won’t suffer from the system’s punishments anymore?"

After hearing Shen Mengli’s explanation, Su Yuxin was the first to respond. Though she was usually impatient, her urgency stemmed entirely from her concern for Ye Feng. It was clear she desperately wanted to carve out a place for herself in his heart through her own efforts.

"Yes, that’s roughly what it means. But don’t forget—this doesn’t guarantee Ye Feng’s safety. Even though he won’t be harmed by the countdown on his lifespan, the system is still inside him! If we don’t completely eliminate it, his mind will never be free to focus on the life he truly wants."

"Exactly. Shen Mengli has pinpointed the key issue."

Xie Yuyan’s voice was calm but firm as she summarized the main points.

"First, we need to understand that any infighting now is meaningless. I hope none of us even entertains such thoughts. To help Ye Feng, we must work together. Second, because of the system within him, we also need to give him confidence—not just in life, but in our relationships with him. We have to show him that we haven’t let past conflicts fester because of him."

Xie Yuyan paused here, her gaze shifting to Shen Mengli.

"Lastly, I have one more proposal. I’m not sure if you’ll all accept it."

"I accept."

Before Xie Yuyan could even finish, Li Mucheng agreed without hesitation. Even Xie Yuyan was taken aback by her immediate response.

"Mucheng, I haven’t even said what the proposal is—"

Li Mucheng’s dark eyes gleamed with unwavering determination as she declared, "As long as it’s for Teacher, I’ll agree to anything!"

"Alright... My proposal is this: Since we’ve all chosen to cooperate, if anyone has grievances, voice them immediately. Ye Feng can’t endure another incident like what happened before."

"I agree."

"I agree too."

Su Yuxin and Shen Mengli responded one after the other.

"Good! Then it’s settled for now. Next, let’s focus on the 'affection points' Ye Feng mentioned. Based on Shen Mengli’s explanation, my understanding is that these points represent our love for him. According to Ye Feng, all of us except Li Mucheng are at 99%, meaning we already hold deep affection for him. But that remaining 1%... it suggests something obvious."

"Xie Yuyan, are you saying that 1% represents the part of us that hasn’t fully embraced our love for Brother Ye Feng?"

"No, Yuxin. I believe that 1% represents the reservations in our hearts."

"Reservations? What do you mean?"

"It’s about whether your love for Ye Feng is selfish or selfless. Li Mucheng has already shown us the answer."

"......"

At this, everyone turned their eyes to Li Mucheng, who blinked nervously before reluctantly speaking up.

"I... I hurt Teacher before, so I know I can’t be the most important person in his heart. But my love for him remains unchanged—I only want him to have the happiness he deserves. No matter what, my feelings for him will never waver!"

"So these reservations are the final key to unlocking Ye Feng’s lifespan... But is it really that easy to let go?"

Xie Yuyan shook her head with a bitter smile, murmuring to herself. Deep down, she knew that accepting reality wouldn’t come without reluctance. Yet for Ye Feng’s sake, she had to release these lingering doubts. But if she could have let go, she would have done so long ago—just like Li Mucheng.

The real problem was... her heart simply couldn’t move past this hurdle.