"Alright, Miss, you can stop here. You should head back now."
As soon as they stepped out of the gate, Ye Feng turned to Li Mucheng, who was still following him closely.
Ye Feng couldn’t shake the feeling that Li Mucheng seemed more curious about him today, as if she had discovered some secret. Her eyes were filled with a sense of triumph, like she had everything under control.
"Miss, I said you can stop here. Go back now."
"I never said I was here to see you off, Teacher. We just happen to be going the same way."
"Is that so..."
The two of them were walking toward the direction of the estate’s exit when a voice called out from behind.
"Miss!"
They turned around to see Ah Fu running toward them.
"Ah Fu? What are you doing here?"
Li Mucheng’s eyebrows raised slightly at Ah Fu’s arrival, clearly displeased.
"M-Miss, I’ve come on orders from the Master."
"Father? Whatever it is, it can wait. I’m seeing Teacher off to the gate right now."
So much for the "same way" excuse. Now she wasn’t even bothering to hide it.
"Miss, that’s not what you said earlier," Ye Feng interjected.
"Hmph, I’m just being polite as a student. It’s not proper to let a teacher leave on their own."
"Miss, actually, I’m here to discuss something with Ye Feng. Could you please make an exception?"
Ah Fu hurriedly stepped in front of them, turning his gaze toward Ye Feng.
"Ye Feng, the Master has something he needs to discuss with you."
"Oh? With me?"
"Yes. The Master hopes you can cancel tomorrow’s class and come to his company..."
Before Ah Fu could finish, Li Mucheng cut him off.
"No! Tomorrow’s class cannot be canceled!"
"But Miss, the Master has urgent matters to discuss with Ye Feng."
"No matter what it is, it’s not happening! This is non-negotiable!"
Though Li Mucheng’s usual spoiled demeanor was similar to how she acted now, this time her attitude was much firmer. Her sharp eyes were filled with determination.
"If Father has something to say, he can come and tell me himself, or find another time. But this is not up for discussion. Teacher, let’s go!"
With that, Li Mucheng linked her arm with Ye Feng’s and started walking toward the gate.
"Wait, Miss!"
"There’s nothing to wait for. Teacher, you’re not allowed to agree with Ah Fu! Otherwise, I won’t let you off the hook!"
Though her tone lacked its usual bite, the strength in her grip made it clear she wasn’t going to let Ye Feng argue.
After being dragged a few steps, Ye Feng stopped in his tracks and pulled Li Mucheng to a halt. "Miss, wait a moment. Don’t get so worked up. I’m not going to cancel tomorrow’s class."
Only after Ye Feng’s assurance did Li Mucheng stop, though she didn’t let go of his arm. Whether it was intentional or not, she kept her hold on him.
"Well... alright. But Teacher, don’t you dare sneak away!"
Ye Feng wiggled his arm, which was firmly locked in Li Mucheng’s grip, and sighed. "Do I even have the chance?"
"Hmph... Just don’t even think about it!"
"Alright, Ah Fu, what does Director Li want to talk to me about?"
"The Master wants to speak with you privately. Due to concerns about the Miss’s safety, he can only discuss it with you at the company."
"Miss’s safety?"
At first, Ye Feng thought Li Jing wanted to ask him to help improve his relationship with Li Mucheng, but now it seemed there was something urgent going on.
As Li Mucheng’s teacher and someone tasked with protecting her, Ye Feng had no choice but to go to Li Jing’s company to find out more.
"Is there time now? Why don’t we go over right away? That way, it won’t conflict with tomorrow’s class."
"Hold on..."
Ah Fu pressed the portable earpiece he was wearing and, after a moment, nodded.
"The Master says it’s fine. Ye Feng, come with me to the car now."
"Alright..."
"I’m coming too!"
Li Mucheng, who had been quietly clinging to Ye Feng’s arm, suddenly spoke up.
"Miss, the Master wants you to stay at home for safety reasons."
"Then tell him, is it safer with Teacher by my side or me staying home alone?"
"......"
After a pause, Ah Fu finally said, "Miss, please come with us."
"That’s more like it. Let’s go, Teacher~ Looks like you’ll be working overtime today."
See? This is the ugly face of capitalism. The moment they see me working for free, they’re grinning from ear to ear.
"Miss, could you let go of my arm..."
"Teacher, do you see that cloud? It looks like a blade of grass, doesn’t it?"
"Miss, there are no clouds. It’s overcast today."
"Never mind that. Let’s just get in the car."
Seeing that Li Mucheng wasn’t budging, Ye Feng had no choice. Thinking he should probably let Xie Yuyan know, he pulled out his phone to contact her.
Li Mucheng noticed the cracked phone case and seemed to have an idea, examining Ye Feng’s phone closely.
"Teacher, this phone must be pretty old, right? It’s probably been phased out of the market by now."
"Yeah, it’s an old relic."
"Then why not get a better one?"
"Can’t afford it. Besides, money should be spent wisely. This phone still works, so I’ll just keep using it until it breaks."
"I see..."
Li Mucheng seemed to be pondering something and fell silent, standing quietly by Ye Feng’s side. As she looked up and saw Ye Feng typing something on his phone, she curiously leaned in, but just as she did, Ye Feng turned off the screen.
"Huh? Miss, what are you looking at?"
"I was just seeing what you were doing, staring at your phone so intently. Were you texting your girlfriend?"
Li Mucheng joked, but her forced smile betrayed the tension she was feeling.
"Girlfriend? What girlfriend? Someone like me probably won’t ever have one."
Ye Feng laughed self-deprecatingly. He was the least qualified person to pursue happiness, let alone a girlfriend.
"That’s... that’s not true!"
Li Mucheng suddenly blushed and vehemently protested. Seeing the loneliness in Ye Feng’s profile, she almost blurted out her feelings right then and there.
"Someone as kind as you, Teacher, is bound to have many girls who like you."
"No, I’m not a good person."
"Actually, I... I... I..."
Just then, a car pulled up in front of them, and Ah Fu’s face appeared in the window. "Miss, Ye Feng, let’s get in."
"......"
"Alright, Miss, let’s go."
"......"
After a long silence, Li Mucheng finally spoke in a calm voice.
"Ah Fu, you’re losing your bonus this month."
"???"