"Mengli, I think you already have a rough idea of my family situation. To be honest, my life isn’t particularly wealthy. Are you okay with that?"
On the way back, Ye Feng pushed Shen Mengli’s wheelchair toward their apartment. Along the way, it suddenly occurred to him that his place might not even compare favorably to the welfare home in terms of living conditions. At least the welfare home had gardens and places to relax, whereas staying in his cramped apartment for too long might make one feel suffocated.
"Ye Feng, what kind of talk is that? It’s not about wealth or poverty for me. What matters to me is who you are. No matter how difficult life gets, I’ll always stay by your side."
"Mengli..."
Ye Feng hadn’t expected that after only a few days together, Shen Mengli already trusted him this much.
"Thank you, Mengli. But I was just saying it casually. Ensuring we have enough to live comfortably—that much I can manage."
"Ye Feng, I’ll do my best to help you too. So... if there’s anything you need, you can tell me anytime. I... I’ll always... always be here to support you."
Shen Mengli’s voice was soft, but her tone carried unwavering determination.
Ye Feng couldn’t help but feel moved, as if Shen Mengli were some kind of angel sent down to bring a little solace into his otherwise difficult life.
"Thank you, Mengli."
"Ye Feng, you’re really... Didn’t you tell me before not to be so polite? And now here you are, being all formal. Aren’t we friends? Friends are supposed to support each other till... I mean, help each other, right?"
"Heh, sorry, sorry. I’ll keep that in mind from now on."
Before long, Ye Feng pushed Shen Mengli to the apartment building, where the gazes of passersby inevitably drifted toward her.
Sensing the attention, Shen Mengli tightened her grip on her stuffed bear and lowered her head, her earlier talkativeness completely gone. She reverted to the same aloof demeanor Ye Feng had seen when they first met.
Just then, an arm appeared beside her, followed by Ye Feng’s gentle voice.
"Mengli, if you need to, you can hold my hand. Isn’t that what friends do? Help each other out?"
"Ye Feng..."
Shen Mengli’s eyes brightened instantly. She freed a small hand to take his, and the unease in her heart melted away.
*See... Ye Feng always cares about me. This feels so nice~*
"Then, I’ll leave it to you."
Hand in hand, the two entered the apartment elevator and soon arrived home.
"Mengli, why don’t you sit by the couch for a bit? It’s almost lunchtime—I’ll get started on cooking."
Ye Feng closed the door and was about to head to the kitchen when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to find Shen Mengli staring up at him.
"Mengli? What’s wrong?"
"I... I want to do something to help you too."
"O-Oh, is that so..."
Faced with Shen Mengli’s pleading expression, Ye Feng couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
"How about you help me tidy up the clothes by the couch and put them in the bedroom? I didn’t get around to it yesterday."
"Leave it to me!"
Shen Mengli sprang into action as if given an important mission. Seeing her determination, Ye Feng didn’t interfere further and instead turned to the kitchen to start cooking.
"Mmm... Ye Feng’s clothes..."
When Shen Mengli wheeled herself over to the couch, she spotted one of Ye Feng’s T-shirts. After setting her stuffed bear on her lap, she picked it up and began folding it with practiced motions.
But just as she finished, she stole a glance toward Ye Feng in the kitchen.
Seeing him too busy to notice her, she unfolded the shirt again and held it in her hands, lost in thought.
*Ye Feng’s clothes... Even though they’ve been washed, there must still be traces of his scent, right?*
Her mind wandered back to when Ye Feng had carried her to the welfare home. The whole way, she had been enveloped in his scent. For some reason, she didn’t dislike it—in fact, she had even grown a little addicted. Every time she caught a whiff of it, she felt an uncontrollable urge to indulge.
*Ye Feng...*
Unable to resist, Shen Mengli lifted the T-shirt to her face and pressed her delicate nose against it.
*Sniff... Sniff...*
"Haaah..."
Beyond the detergent, she could still detect Ye Feng’s distinct scent. A small breath escaped her lips.
*The detergent is strong, but his smell is still so clear... Wait, why is there another fragrance mixed in? No... there’s a strawberry note too! Huh? And now something even richer and sweeter?! What’s going on?!*
Her brain short-circuited, hands frozen as she clutched the shirt, her mind drifting off to who-knows-where.
"Mengli, did you find the clothes?"
Just then, Ye Feng stepped out of the kitchen, snapping Shen Mengli back to reality.
"Ah! Ye Feng, is this the one you meant?"
She hastily held up the T-shirt for him to see.
"Yep, that’s the one."
Ye Feng nodded.
"Got it. I’ll fold it and put it in your closet."
"Sounds good. Lunch is almost ready too—just wait a little longer, and we can eat."
Of course, Ye Feng hadn’t noticed Shen Mengli’s earlier actions. Satisfied that everything was fine, he returned to the kitchen.
"Okay."
Shen Mengli watched him go before carefully wheeling herself into the bedroom.
*Ye Feng’s closet...*
She reached out and opened it, revealing a modest collection of casual wear, suits, and dress shirts.
With so few clothes, the closet looked neat and uncluttered. After confirming Ye Feng wasn’t coming, she took out one of the shirts.
*I wonder if this one smells the same as the T-shirt...*
Heart pounding, she brought the fabric to her nose and inhaled cautiously...