Chapter 89: Unrequited Love?

Ye Fei and Liu Yiyi left together, leaving behind a group of stunned students in the campus. They had just witnessed Ye Fei defeat three burly security guards. The students were well aware of the prowess of the school's security team—someone had once kept track of their abilities. When troublemakers came to stir up trouble at the school, these guards could each take on ten at a time, even when the gangsters were armed, the guards always prevailed. So the students all knew their security guards were formidable.

Yet Ye Fei had single-handedly beaten three of them. Did this mean he could take on thirty thugs by himself? When classes resumed on Monday, the school news would surely be abuzz with Ye Fei’s latest feat. His fighting abilities would be reassessed, and those students who harbored intentions of causing trouble for him would have to think twice.

Judging that enough time had passed, Ye Fei and Liu Yiyi made their way to Zhong Yuhan’s family porridge shop.

“Ye Fei, you’re here,” Zhong Yuhan greeted them with a happy smile, already waiting at the door.

“Yuhan, why are you waiting out here? Let’s go in together,” Ye Fei said, holding the medicine he had brought.

Zhong Yuhan’s mother was not home. Many items in the shop had been damaged, so she had gone out early to various markets to restock. Their family’s means were modest, and she was reluctant to spend too much, so she visited several places to compare prices and buy what was cheapest, which is why she hadn’t returned yet.

As the three were about to enter the shop, a luxurious car pulled up and parked out front. A middle-aged man, who looked like a butler, stepped out. Ye Fei and Zhong Yuhan exchanged puzzled glances.

The man approached Liu Yiyi and smiled: “Miss, there is an urgent matter. The master sent me to fetch you home.”

He was here for Liu Yiyi. Ye Fei and Zhong Yuhan relaxed; they both knew Liu Yiyi’s family was wealthy, no less so than Zhang Xiaoxiao’s.

“I already told my father I wouldn’t go back yet. I’ll return home when the school holiday begins,” Liu Yiyi replied, glancing at Ye Fei before speaking to the butler.

She had finally managed to spend some time with Ye Fei and was reluctant to leave. In the past, even if something like this happened, she would have been unhappy, but not refused outright. Her father understood her temperament and would not have disturbed her unless it was truly important.

“Miss, I understand, but this time the matter is truly urgent. The master has asked me to fetch you immediately,” the butler insisted.

“Yiyi, you should go home for now. I can take care of Yuhan,” Ye Fei said with a smile.

“Alright,” Liu Yiyi yielded, unable to resist Ye Fei’s words.

“And this gentleman is—?” Li Wang, the butler, was surprised to see Miss Liu so obedient to this man. He had never witnessed such a situation before and wondered what the relationship between the two was. Miss Liu’s gaze seemed to hold a special affection, but they did not seem like lovers.

Ye Fei chuckled, “I’m Yiyi’s classmate. Yuhan is also our classmate. Her family has had some trouble, so we came to check on her. Since Yiyi’s family has an urgent matter, please take her home first. I’ll stay here and help.”

“Yiyi, you should go. I’ll be fine, and Ye Fei is here with me,” Zhong Yuhan said bashfully. The matter had nothing to do with Liu Yiyi, and she didn’t want her own troubles to delay something urgent for Yiyi’s family.

Li Wang smiled and glanced at Ye Fei a few times. “Miss Zhong’s situation was discussed with me last night. That Cao Bing has indeed behaved disgracefully. I will speak to them and ensure he doesn’t bother Miss Zhong again.”

Ye Fei nodded. From what he knew, Cao Bing was the son of a government official. Although his family wielded some power, they could not compare to the Liu family. With their protection, Zhong Yuhan’s family need not fear Cao Bing causing trouble.

Liu Yiyi looked back repeatedly, reluctant to leave, but finally got into the car and departed.

Ye Fei smiled, “Let’s stop lingering outside and go in. I’ve brought the medicine; you should apply it right away.”

A trace of melancholy flickered in Zhong Yuhan’s eyes, though she hid it well and it vanished quickly. Ye Fei did not notice.

Inside, Ye Fei urged Zhong Yuhan to apply the medicine quickly. The abrasions on her hands from yesterday were beginning to swell and redden. If she didn’t take care, the swelling could worsen, leading to infection and further complications.

Her hands were so injured and swollen that she couldn’t apply the ointment herself. Ye Fei opened the jar and said, half smiling, “Your hands are injured. Let me help you.”

“Alright,” Zhong Yuhan replied softly.

Ye Fei scooped out some ointment and gently applied it to her hands, massaging both palms and the backs of her hands to warm them, accelerate absorption, and stimulate circulation, which would help reduce swelling.

Zhong Yuhan’s palms tingled, and her cheeks flushed. She stole a glance at Ye Fei, who was concentrating intently on massaging her hands, oblivious to her shy glance.

The scene was undeniably intimate: a man and a woman alone in a room, the man holding the woman’s hands and gently rubbing them—there was an air of flirtation.

Fortunately, Zhong Yuhan had never experienced such things before, or she might have been completely overwhelmed by the suggestive touch. As it was, only her hands and face felt hot.

“How do your hands feel now, Yuhan?” Ye Fei asked.

“They felt cool at first, but now they’re warm and not so painful. It seems to be working.” Zhong Yuhan replied quickly, afraid Ye Fei might notice her wandering thoughts.

Ye Fei smiled, “That’s just right. The ointment feels cool at first, then the warmth from the massage helps your hands absorb the medicine and stimulates circulation, which reduces swelling. The medicine has almost been absorbed, and the redness has faded. I’ll massage your hands again this afternoon, and once more tomorrow morning. By Monday, you should be able to attend classes as usual.”

“Thank you, Ye Fei,” Zhong Yuhan said softly.

“No need to thank me—we’re friends, aren’t we?” Ye Fei smiled.

Friends—the word made Zhong Yuhan’s body tremble slightly.

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Ye Fei was sitting right beside her, holding her hands, so he immediately noticed her slight change.

“It’s nothing,” Zhong Yuhan replied, lowering her head and biting her lip.

Just then, Zhong Yuhan’s mother returned, stepping into the room. She paused at the sight of the pair sitting closely together on the bed in such an intimate pose, then immediately turned and left.

Ye Fei and Zhong Yuhan were puzzled, then glanced around. In their effort to apply the ointment, they had sat very close together. When Zhong Yuhan’s body wavered, Ye Fei, thinking she was uncomfortable, had reached out to steady her shoulder, while still holding her hand. Because of their positions, Ye Fei’s arm was wrapped around her from behind, making it appear as if he was embracing her.

Moreover, Zhong Yuhan’s cheeks were still flushed, and she had just bitten her lip, leaving a faint mark and a hint of moisture.

When her mother entered and saw them sitting so closely, with the mark on her daughter’s lips, she assumed the two had been intimately engaged and quickly left to give them privacy.

Both Ye Fei and Zhong Yuhan realized, in that instant, why her mother had reacted as she did.

Their inner thoughts were quite different: Zhong Yuhan felt shy and a little sweetness, while Ye Fei thought, This time the misunderstanding is serious.

Quickly, both stood up and hurried out of the room, not daring to linger. Any further explanation would only deepen the misunderstanding.

The porridge shop was attached to their living quarters; the front was the shop, and the inner part was their home, much like a two-courtyard house.

As they emerged from the inner room, Zhong Yuhan’s mother was sitting in the shop, her expression somewhat odd as she looked at them.