The Shy Li Muchen

"Then go to sleep right now! Do you hear me?"

Ye Feng glared sternly at Xie Yuyan, his expression making it clear that if she dared to argue, he wouldn’t hesitate to take drastic measures.

"Mmm... I got it, Ye Feng. Don’t be angry—it’s bad for your health."

Seeing his expression, Xie Yuyan quickly put on an obedient act, lying quietly on the sofa with her eyes closed, breathing evenly as if asleep.

"You’d better not be faking it, or I’ll carry you to your room myself."

Ye Feng knew she was pretending—the moment he said this, Xie Yuyan’s delicate brows twitched slightly.

"Alright, Mengli, go freshen up first. I’ll prepare the ingredients for breakfast, and we can cook together later, okay?"

"Mm..."

Shen Mengli glanced back at Xie Yuyan before nodding in agreement.

"Alright, Xiao Feng, let me know if there’s anything I can help with..."

"I will."

After watching Shen Mengli head to the bathroom, Ye Feng returned to the sofa, his gaze fixed on Xie Yuyan.

"Yuyan, don’t act like this again, understand?"

"......"

Silence. Ye Feng couldn’t tell if she was pretending to sleep or if she was upset with his earlier tone. He crouched down and gently tucked the blanket around her.

"I don’t like scolding you, but there’s a limit to everything. Your health matters more than anything else. If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself."

"Ye Feng..."

The moment he finished speaking, Xie Yuyan suddenly opened her misty eyes, looking up at him with a pitiful expression.

"I’m sorry... for making you worry about me again..."

"It’s fine. I just said what was on my mind. But your safety always comes first—I hope you understand that."

"Mm... but you’re the first in my heart..."

"Huh?"

"You’re the most important to me, Ye Feng..."

"......"

Her response left Ye Feng speechless. Seizing the moment while she was distracted, he suddenly scooped her up from the sofa.

"Eh? Y-Ye Feng?!"

Startled, Xie Yuyan clutched his shirt tightly, though not out of fear that he’d drop her—she was more worried about Shen Mengli seeing them like this. If that happened, things might get awkward again.

But Ye Feng moved swiftly, carrying her straight to her bedroom and unceremoniously tossing her onto the bed within seconds.

"Y-Ye Feng?"

The soft mattress cushioned her fall, but she still blinked in surprise at his sudden action.

Before she could ask why, a thick blanket was draped over her, wrapping her up like a dumpling. Only then did Ye Feng finally speak.

"Alright, Yuyan, just get some rest. We’ll visit Mucheng later, and I’ll save breakfast for you."

"But... I’m not sleepy at all! It’s still early, and I don’t even feel like—"

Before she could finish, Ye Feng reached out, brushed aside the hair on her forehead, and—under her stunned gaze—planted a soft kiss there.

"Be good. Get some rest."

His gentle words worked like magic, melting away her resistance. Xie Yuyan, now blushing like a lovestruck girl, pulled the blanket up to cover half her face.

"Okay..."

"That’s more like it."

Seeing her adorable reaction, Ye Feng hastily muttered a few more words before fleeing the room, leaving Xie Yuyan alone, her cheeks burning.

"He kissed me... and his voice was so tender... I really, really like you, Ye Feng..."

......

Gurgle.

Distracted, Ye Feng stared at the corn porridge simmering on the stove, his mind replaying Xie Yuyan’s adorable moment. He never expected the usually flirtatious and teasing Xie Yuyan to have such a cute side—the sheer contrast nearly broke his composure.

Huff... huff...

Just as he tried to focus on cooking, soft footsteps approached from behind.

Before he could turn, a pair of slender arms wrapped around his waist, followed by Shen Mengli’s playful voice.

"Nyahaha~"

"Mengli?"

Startled by the sudden embrace, Ye Feng stiffened slightly before turning to see Shen Mengli burying her face against his back.

"What’s wrong? Still sleepy?"

"Nope~"

She shook her head slowly, eyes closed as she declared with mock seriousness.

"I’m replenishing my Ye Feng energy. Only with a full charge can I face the day."

"......"

He knew she was just being silly, but he let her cling to him anyway.

"Alright, breakfast is almost ready. It won’t be long now."

"Fine..."

Reluctantly, Shen Mengli released him, though she clearly didn’t want to. To avoid burdening him further, she busied herself setting the table.

Meanwhile, Ye Feng took off his apron and headed for the bathroom—only for his phone to ring just as he reached the door.

"Huh? Why is Mucheng calling so early?"

Seeing Li Mucheng’s name on the screen, he answered without hesitation.

"Hello?"

"......"

"Hello? Mucheng?"

"......"

What’s going on? Why is there no sound?

Puzzled, Ye Feng pulled the phone away to check—no mute button was pressed. He put it back to his ear.

"T-Teacher..."

After what felt like forever, a faint voice finally came through. If not for the quiet room, he might have missed it entirely.

What’s up with her? Did she turn shy overnight?