However, speaking of which, is Yan Feng really going back empty-handed? He should bring something...

The man thought as he glanced at a cake shop on the street...

He went upstairs and returned home.

Standing at the door, Yan Feng gently knocked twice with his knuckles.

It felt strange. They used to be so close, and he could naturally use his key to unlock the door and enter. But after everything that happened, he had to deliberately distance himself, always being cautious. Even though this was his own home, he had to consider whether it was convenient for her...

With a sigh, the door opened, and a young girl stood inside wearing pajamas, her expression indifferent, her gaze icy.

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The man lifted the cake in his hand, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth, and said, "Little Xi, I really didn't expect you to be so amazing! I bought this for you, here, take it."

Hearing this, Chen Xi frowned deeply, turned her head to glance behind the man, and seeing no one else, she relaxed a bit before questioning:

"What have you been doing these past few days? Where have you been staying at night?"

Yan Feng swallowed, feeling like he was being interrogated like a criminal. But given Chen Xi's excellent achievements, he could afford to be a little more indulgent.

"Uh... I've mostly been at the company or at a hotel these days," Yan Feng answered one by one, then added, "Staying alone."

That part was true, as he stayed in a regular room and didn't sleep with Gu Qing.

But as soon as he said it, he regretted it a bit. Who knows what he was thinking, adding that last part, making it sound like he was hastily explaining to a lover why he hadn't come home, which was really odd...

"Really?" Chen Xi raised an eyebrow, full of doubt.

Yan Feng was at a loss for words, pushing the cake forward and asking, "Why would I lie to you? Come on, let me in to cut the cake. It's made with fresh cream, and it's hot, so it might melt... Hey, hey!"

Before he could finish, the young girl threw herself into his arms, pressing her head against his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

The cake almost fell from the impact, and Yan Feng winced, barely managing to steady himself, just as he was about to instinctively scold her, he heard the sound of sobbing.

Chen Xi was crying.

She buried her face in Yan Feng's chest, her eyes shut tight, biting her trembling lips until they turned pale, holding back her sobs.

She had never been this scared before.

Afraid he would bring a woman back with him, afraid he would look at her with disgust, afraid his presence... would never appear before her again.

The love and guilt in her heart merged into a clear, intoxicating wine, seemingly transparent, but once consumed, it would leave one utterly lost, unable to distinguish day from night.

So she compromised once more, whether towards Yan Feng or herself.

"I'm sorry..." Chen Xi cried, her tears soaking through his shirt, leaving a faint salty scent in his embrace. "Don't leave... don't abandon me..."

The home she had finally found was on the verge of collapsing because of her desperate longing for warmth. Just a little more, and she would become an unwanted child again.

But what had she done wrong?

From childhood, the concept of "love" never existed in her world. A broken family, violent relatives, a cold world; to survive, she had to forge a hard shell for herself, curling up in the cold to keep warm alone.

Even she had forgotten that beneath that shell was a tender heart, yearning to love and be loved.

But she didn't know how to express it, clumsily learning bit by bit, trying to love the man in front of her in her own way, even if it suffocated him. This was the only, most precious feeling she could offer from beneath her shell.

During the days Yan Feng stayed out, every time she opened the door, she imagined his figure appearing inside.

Without him, the world seemed to lose its color. The food she ate was just to fill her stomach, the bed she slept in had never felt so cold, and the first thing she did upon waking wasn't opening her eyes, but shedding tears.

Since he left, home was no longer home.

In just a few days, it felt like centuries of torment.

Now, as that dreamlike figure reappeared before her, she could no longer bear the grievances in her heart, pleading like an abandoned kitten:

"Don't leave me... I beg you..."

"I'm so scared... so scared you'll never come back... so scared you'll kick me out like everyone else..."

"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry... I'm sorry..."

The young girl kept blaming herself, and just then, a broad hand rested on her head.

The warmth from his palm seemed to penetrate the cold reality, touching that shell.

And that so-called shell was merely a slightly thicker cocoon.

"It's okay," Yan Feng said with a comforting smile, doting on her. "I'm back, aren't I? And I even brought you a cake... though it might not be in great shape now..."

He glanced at the poor cake in his hand. Though still in the box, it was probably a bit deformed by now...

"I don't want cake..." Chen Xi continued to lean against him, tightening her grip on his arms. "I don't need anything... nothing matters... just don't leave me alone... please..."

Yan Feng's nose tingled, suddenly understanding why she had feelings for him that she shouldn't have.

Some things needed to be said, some things needed to be done, but he didn't want to, at least not now, so it could wait, just a little longer.

So he gently rubbed her head, soothing her softly:

"Alright, alright, don't cry. See, I'm back to find you, aren't I? Besides, you can't run away from the monk or the temple, and you're still occupying my little doghouse, right?"

Yan Feng smiled, feeling sentimental. "But I really didn't expect you to be so amazing. I heard from your homeroom teacher that a certain Miss Chen gave your teacher quite a headache~"

Hearing this, the young girl broke into a smile, snuggling closer to him with her head, whispering, "No way... it's all because you taught me well..."

"I love hearing that!" Yan Feng laughed, patting her head again, and asked softly, "So... shall we go home?"

"Yeah... let's go home..."