I Hate You Like a Piece of Wood

“Alright, let’s end today’s class here. I should probably go and do a security check now.”

Ye Feng glanced at the clock on the table. There was still an hour left before the class was supposed to end, but he was clearly trying to leave early. Li Mucheng, of course, wasn’t going to let that slide.

“What do you mean ‘end here’? Don’t you check the time? There’s still an hour left before class is over!”

Li Mucheng was furious. She even started to suspect that Ye Feng was deliberately trying to skip class.

“Yes, I need this hour to inspect the security around the estate.”

Ye Feng stood up from his chair. Although the estate where Li Mucheng lived was designed to minimize vulnerabilities due to the large number of people coming and going, a sparsely populated estate could also be a dangerous place. Despite the heavy security presence, if a professional team were to target them, the current security measures might not be enough.

To prevent any potential threats, Ye Feng decided to spend some time checking for any weak spots in the estate’s defenses. That way, if something did happen, they would have a chance to react.

“Security checks? Teacher, why do you need to handle that? The specialized security team my father sent will take care of it. Let’s just continue with the class...”

“No, that won’t do.”

Ye Feng interrupted Li Mucheng with a serious tone, placing his hand gently on her smooth black hair and patting it lightly.

“The security team’s inspections alone aren’t enough. The fact that they managed to slip in unnoticed despite the tight controls at the border is proof of their capabilities. These people live on the edge, constantly risking their lives. Miss, you mustn’t let your guard down.”

“To be honest, I’m worried about you, Miss. At this point, you should be the one staying vigilant. If something were to happen, I might not be able to get to you in time. So, Miss, please wait for me, okay? No matter what, I’ll make sure to protect you.”

“Teacher...”

After hearing Ye Feng’s words, Li Mucheng reached out and grabbed the hand he had placed on her head, bringing it to her cheek as she smiled softly.

“I don’t know why, but if this had happened in the past, hearing that there were bad guys trying to capture me would have scared me so much that I’d lock myself in my room, waiting for the inevitable. But now, it’s different...”

Li Mucheng closed her eyes, as if visualizing something in her mind. Her heartbeat gradually steadied, and she spoke word by word.

“Ever since you’ve been by my side, Teacher, I’ve felt that no matter what I do, as long as you’re with me, I feel safe. Even though my temper sometimes hurts you, I... I really want to be with you forever. Whether it’s during class or... lying on the grass, enjoying the beauty of nature.”

“Miss...”

Ye Feng hadn’t expected Li Mucheng to suddenly say something like this. In his eyes, she had always been like a child with a troubled heart. But now, it seemed she had slowly healed under his care, and in time, she would fully recover.

“Miss, you’ve grown up.”

“Hmph, don’t look at me like I’m a child! There’s not much of an age difference between us!”

“Alright, alright. Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to say to you, Miss.”

“Hm?”

Li Mucheng, who had been planning to scold Ye Feng for underestimating her, was caught off guard by his sudden words. Her heart, which had just calmed down, started pounding again, like a startled rabbit darting away.

Could it be that Teacher has finally noticed my feelings for him? He’s not as clueless as I thought! I always imagined he’d say it while holding me under a crimson sunset, but that’s okay. Teacher and I still have plenty of precious moments ahead of us.

“I’m sorry.”

After a long pause, Ye Feng finally spoke those three words. The moment he did, Li Mucheng, who had been glowing with anticipation, suddenly lost her color, as if she had stepped into a black-and-white comic.

I’m... sorry?

What does that mean? Is this some new way of confessing? But it’s so easy to misunderstand, don’t you think, Teacher?

“W-why are you apologizing, Teacher?”

“Because... it’s a burden on my conscience.”

Ye Feng recalled the memory of when he had kidnapped Li Mucheng. The scare tactics he had used back then had truly frightened her, and he had never wanted to do such a thing. But at the time, he had no other choice if he wanted to survive. Even now, he felt he owed her an apology.

“Ah... I don’t know why you’re apologizing, but I accept it~”

Li Mucheng suddenly seemed to understand why Ye Feng was apologizing. She smiled brightly and tightened her grip on his hand.

“You’re the kindest person to me, Teacher. So no matter what you’ve done, I won’t hold it against you. I know everything you do is for my sake.”

“Miss...”

Ye Feng took a deep breath. In that moment, he made up his mind to help Li Mucheng overcome this crisis. It was not only a fulfillment of his promise to her but also a way to reconcile with his true self.

“So, Teacher, is there anything else you want to say to me? The mood’s been set, so there’s no need to hold back anymore, right?”

Li Mucheng blinked rapidly at Ye Feng, as if hinting at something. But Ye Feng didn’t catch on and awkwardly chuckled, “Uh... no, that’s all.”

“......”

Li Mucheng’s mouth twitched slightly, and she rolled her eyes at Ye Feng, muttering under her breath.

“I hate how dense you are!”

Seeing that Li Mucheng didn’t want to explain further, Ye Feng didn’t press her. As he walked toward the bedroom door, he said to her, “Miss, I’m going to check the security now. Please stay in your room and avoid being alone without security, okay? I’ll call Ah Fu over right away.”

“Wait!”

Li Mucheng quickly stepped forward and stopped Ye Feng from leaving. Under his puzzled gaze, she voiced her thoughts.

“I... I want to go with you, Teacher.”

“No! It’s too dangerous right now. I can’t let you put yourself at risk. What if something happens?”

“But I think it’s important for me to go with you. Think about it, Teacher. While you’re checking the area, you can also point out any potential dangers to me. That way, I’ll have a better understanding of the situation. If something does happen, it’ll give me a better chance of surviving, right?”

“......”

Ye Feng thought about it and realized Li Mucheng had a point. If she never explored unfamiliar areas, she might panic and not know where to escape in a critical moment. In the end, he agreed to her request.

“Alright, but you’ll need to change into something less noticeable.”

“Okay~”