h4Chapter 248: Chapter 248: Bing an Indispensable Part of Her Life/h4

    If it weren’t for Cheng Guomin relentlessly pressuring her, Cheng Lie’s mother wouldn’t have died.

    Yun Shifei actually knew that having an extramarital affair was immoral.

    But those were matters of the adults. Cheng Lie was utterly innocent. At such a young age, why did he have to endure such suffering?

    After a while, Cheng Lie spoke again: "Honestly, if I could choose, I would rather not live in this world."

    This was the first time Yun Shifei had heard such despairing words from Cheng Lie. She was startled and immediately said, "Don’t talk nonsense."

    Cheng Lie curved his lips slightly, as if in a smile, but his eyes carried no trace of humor: "But don’t you think that’s how it is? I’m just a despised illegitimate child."

    "An illegitimate child, so what? That’s the adults’ wrongdoing; it has nothing to do with you!" Yun Shifei said angrily.

    After saying this, she looked again at Cheng Lie. This young man was growing stronger day by day. In the future, the concepts he would design in his products would benefit countless people, bringing about a new technological revolution.

    If he hadn’t appeared, she truly didn’t know if there would be anyone else who coulde up with ideas like his.

    This time, Yun Shifei took the initiative to hold Cheng Lie’s hand, her face adorned with a gentle smile: "Cheng Lie, I’m actually really grateful that you’ve chosen to live well, because at least we got to know each other."

    Cheng Lie hadn’t expected Yun Shifei to say something like this. Her words struck his heart like a sharp de, piercing deep into his soul.

    "Can I hug you?" Yun Shifei asked timidly.

    Who knows how fast her heart was racing as she said this? She even wondered if spending too much time with Cheng Lie might eventually give her heart palpitations.

    Cheng Lie nodded.

    The wind tousled his ck hair, soft like an ocean wave.

    His expression no longer seemed as cold as before; he even looked a bit obedient.

    After getting Cheng Lie’s approval, Yun Shifei stretched out her arms and hugged him, burying her head on his shoulder.

    "Cheng Lie, please don’t ever give up on yourself, okay? You’re already amazing now, and I’m sure your future will be even more extraordinary. Honestly, I think being your friend has been both joyful and an honor—it’s like a gift from fate," the girl said softly.

    Cheng Lie hadn’t realized how much he meant to Yun Shifei. So much so that she treated him with such care.

    Was her cautiousness toward him born out of respect?

    This feeling was strange. Why would she respect him? He clearly had nothing, and his personality wasn’t even appealing.

    But somehow, she had always believed in him, encouraging him in the past, and continuing to do so now.

    This sense of being valued and cherished stirredplex emotions in Cheng Lie’s heart.

    Looking at the girl leaning against his shoulder, his gaze softened.

    The impatience and anger that had been bottled up over the past few days disappeared entirely in that instant.

    He reached out and gently stroked Yun Shifei’s hair, his hand sliding down to softly soothe her back.

    He thought to himself, he was utterly captivated by her.

    Not far away, Zhao Pan caught sight of the small hill. Amid the swaying shadows of the trees, two figures leaned close together.

    The disy of affection was so intense it could practically drown him in jealousy.

    "Is this for me?" Yun Shifei looked at the phone box Cheng Lie handed her, her disbelief evident.

    In this day and age, phones were expensive—she knew that well.

    Back when Yun Tiancheng suggested buying her a phone to make it easier to stay in touch, Yun Shifei had refused.

    First, most of her ssmates didn’t use phones. Second, phones at this time were essentially just for calls, and the school dormitory phone was both convenient and more affordable in terms of call charges.

    Third, she was worried she might lose the phone by ident.

    After all, such items were incredibly valuable.

    But unexpectedly, Cheng Lie had directly gifted her a phone.

    Looking at Yun Shifei’s stunned expression, Cheng Lie said, "Call me every day from now on."

    Every day? Yun Shifei stared at Cheng Lie in shock. This request was a bit... excessive.

    "I gave you my numberst time, but you never contacted me," Cheng Lie continued.

    At this, Yun Shifei suddenly understood why Cheng Lie had been angry when she saw him earlier.

    It turned out that when he had given her his contact information, he thought she would definitely reach out to him. Yet so many days had passed, and she hadn’t called him even once.

    That’s why Cheng Lie was upset.

    She had simply felt there wasn’t much to call about.

    But thinking that making Cheng Lie happy wouldn’t hurt, she agreed: "Okay, I’ll call you every day."

    She only called Yun Tiancheng two or three times a week, yet with Cheng Lie, she now had to call him daily—it felt oddly like they were in a romantic rtionship.

    The thought made Yun Shifei’s heart race uncontrobly once again.

    Cheng Lie wasn’t in any hurry to drop Yun Shifei back at school. He took her for a stroll around Beijing and then had dinner with her.

    Yun Shifei noticed that even though Cheng Lie was no longer tied to the Cheng Family, his spending power was still impressive. He took her to upscale restaurants with few patrons, pleasant environments, attentive service, and exceptional dishes—all, of course, at a hefty price.

    A single meal could cost hundreds of yuan. Cheng Lie really was wealthy.

    But the food was indeed delicious.

    Especially the cakes and ice cream made by the chef.

    Yun Shifei ate three servings before finally feeling satisfied.

    Watching the girl’s contented expression, Cheng Lie’s own mood seemed to rx.

    "If you ever want to go out and have fun, you can find me."

    "Do you really have time?" she asked.

    Cheng Lie hadn’t told her where he lived or what job he currently held, but she knew that working people were naturally less free than students. How could he be avable to take her out and eat anytime?

    "I’m free in the evenings and on weekends," Cheng Lie replied after a moment of thought, his face serious. He knew he wasn’t entirely free yet.

    "Alright then, I’lle find you," she said.

    After a pause, Cheng Lie added, "Next time you visit the orphanage, call me. We can go together."

    He knew she wanted to help the child there, and although he understood her reasons, he couldn’t help but feel jealous.

    "Okay," Yun Shifei responded.

    Cheng Lie dropped Yun Shifei off at her school’s entrance before leaving.

    Yun Shifei carriedrge bags and packages back to school, filled with food Cheng Lie had bought her.

    When she got back, she’d share it with her dormmates. Yun Shifei thought gleefully to herself.

    She felt like Cheng Lie was being overly kind to her. The roles between them seemed to have reversed slightly.

    Before, she had always taken care of Cheng Lie, but now Cheng Lie was taking care of her with meticulous attention.

    While she ate, he kept serving her food.

    When she finished, he immediately handed her a napkin.

    Yun Shifei realized she was falling for Cheng Lie more and more. What was she supposed to do?

    It seemed she had fallen right into Cheng Lie’s ns.

    On the way back, Cheng Lie stared expressionlessly at the scenery flying by outside the window.

    The look on his face waspletely different from the obedient or aloof expression he disyed in front of Yun Shifei. His gaze was inscrutable, like a wolf hunting deep in the mountains.

    He intended to make Yun Shifei gradually get used to his presence in her life, to allow him to be an irreceable part of her existence.

    Until the point where she couldn’t bear a life without him.

    He loved her, and he wanted her love for him to overflow, just like the way he wasn’t able to hold back his own.