Fourteenth: I Just Want to Read the News

He turned his head and shot a wry smile at Liu Wei, who was still struggling to get up. Long Fei raised his middle finger and waved it: “Brother, you’ll just have to chalk this up to bad luck. Let me tell you something—you’ll never be able to conquer a woman like that girl. Don’t even think about it, or you’ll just end up hurt and used. You’re lucky it was me you ran into today. If it had been someone else, your little life might have been forfeit. Take care of yourself.”

When he returned to the villa, dinner was already on the table. Ye Qian was storming upstairs in a huff, only to be stopped halfway by Qi Yufei.

Before Ye Qian could respond, Long Fei entered with a cheerful grin. “Oh, it’s like this—just now, a bodyguard confessed his feelings to Miss Ye.”

“Really? Is that so? Who was it?” Qi Yufei wasn’t the least bit angry that her daughter’s pursuer was a bodyguard. Perhaps, in her view, status and background didn’t matter much; in fact, a hint of a smile even tugged at her lips.

Ye Qian hadn’t expected Long Fei to cover for her with a lie, but now she could only play along to avoid Qi Yufei’s wrath if the truth came out.

“Yes, that guy was really infuriating! I wish I could have killed him!” she spat, glaring daggers at Long Fei as she spoke, her teeth clenched so tightly that Long Fei felt a chill run down his spine.

“So, how did you handle it?” Qi Yufei asked, frowning at her daughter's venomous words. Though she knew it was just an outburst, she paid close attention to such details, believing a person’s character was often revealed in small things.

“Oh, Long Fei already beat him up for me!” Ye Qian replied, a sly glint in her eyes as she shifted all the blame onto Long Fei.

As expected, Qi Yufei turned to Long Fei. “Long Fei, I know Ye Qian’s still young—spoiled by us since childhood—so I can understand her acting out. But you shouldn’t indulge her! Someone liking her isn’t a bad thing; you can’t just beat someone up for that. Is he all right? Nothing serious, I hope?”

“It was Miss Ye who told me to do it! I’m a bodyguard, after all—I have to obey her orders!” Long Fei muttered, a little exasperated. Was she still a child? She was nearly twenty!

But Long Fei wasn’t about to take the fall alone.

“You—what about Liu Wei now—” Qi Yufei started.

Ye Qian quickly jumped in, “Don’t worry, Mom, he’s just squatting out back reflecting on his actions! Right, Long Fei?”

“Squatting and reflecting?” Qi Yufei echoed. She had never heard that saying before. Wasn’t it supposed to be ‘standing facing the wall in reflection’?

Seeing her confusion, Long Fei hurried to agree, “Yes, squatting and reflecting, squatting and reflecting. Oh, by the way, I’m a bit hungry. Aren’t you all hungry?”

Thanks to Long Fei’s quick redirection, Ye Qian didn’t return to her hunger strike. Instead, she joined in, claiming she was starving, which successfully drew Qi Yufei’s attention away.

Dinner was served.

The meal was indeed sumptuous and tasted just as good as ever, but Long Fei, having eaten too much at lunch, barely touched his food. Ye Qian, on the other hand, who’d been put off her lunch by Long Fei’s ravenous eating, now seemed determined to make up for it—half the dishes on the table ended up in her stomach.

Yet, her table manners left much to be desired; she wasn’t much better than himself, and the contrast was stark against Qi Yufei’s elegant poise. Long Fei couldn’t help but marvel once again at the mysteries of genetics.

Moreover, Long Fei couldn’t help but wonder—since Ye Qian ate so much, how was it that all her nourishment seemed to go to her height or, more specifically, her rear, and not at all to her chest? It was truly a mystery.

After devouring everything on the table and patting her round, full belly, Ye Qian seemed in much better spirits. She’d also grown more accustomed to Long Fei’s presence. She turned to Qi Yufei. “Mom, tomorrow I want to go to West Mountain with my classmates! They’ve called me several times already. If I don’t go, they’ll all laugh at me!”

“No, absolutely not. Have you forgotten what happened last time?” Qi Yufei said sternly.

She was referring to the incident a month ago, when Ye Qian was nearly kidnapped by a group of mysterious men while singing karaoke with classmates. Only her quick wit and the sacrifice of her undercover bodyguards had saved her. The consequences could have been unthinkable.

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning!” Qi Yufei huffed. She knew Ye Qian was probably going racing again with her affluent friends, and she was deeply worried.

“Mom, it’s really not racing this time! Honestly, it’s Li Yan’s birthday tomorrow. We’re going hiking during the day and then having a party at her house in the evening. Please let me go!” Ye Qian was indeed a little enchantress, with a flair for acting—she looked so sweet and adorable now that no one could refuse her.

“Mom, I haven’t been out in a month! I really just want to have some fun. Please, I’m begging you!”

Qi Yufei’s heart softened. More importantly, she knew that even if she refused, Ye Qian would probably sneak out anyway. When this girl made up her mind, she was impossible to control.

“But what about your safety?” Qi Yufei frowned. She dared not risk her daughter’s safety again, but knowing Ye Qian’s stubbornness, she had no choice but to take the matter seriously.

“Let Long Fei come with me—he’s our bodyguard, isn’t he?” Ye Qian suggested, to everyone’s surprise. No one knew what she was plotting, since she usually couldn’t stand Long Fei.

Long Fei himself didn’t mind. He nodded. “Sure.”

“Are you really okay with that?” Qi Yufei asked again.

“Don’t worry. I promise to bring her back safe and sound,” Long Fei assured her.

Though neither woman had seen Long Fei truly demonstrate his skills, Qi Yufei, for reasons she couldn’t quite explain, trusted him completely. She nodded and finally granted Ye Qian her wish.

“Oh, I can go out and have fun!” Ye Qian nearly leapt from her chair. For a moment, her childlike innocence shone through, and Long Fei couldn’t help but reflect—being a rich family’s daughter wasn’t always easy. Wealth didn’t guarantee happiness; what was true happiness? Freedom.

With Qi Yufei’s permission, Ye Qian seemed to have forgotten her grudge against Long Fei entirely. She ran off to her room to call her friends with the good news. Only then did Long Fei breathe a sigh of relief. Being around this little enchantress always made him feel on edge. Little did he know that Ye Qian and her friends were plotting to give him a hard time at the party tomorrow—that was the real reason she’d asked for his company.

Qi Yufei, after over a decade as a trophy wife, seemed to have grown used to it. But she had every right to be one. A woman as refined as she would never bore a man, even if she stayed home every day. For Ye Wentian, letting such a perfect woman out into the world might even be considered a crime; she deserved to be cherished at home. Besides, Qi Yufei wasn’t entirely dependent—she did housework, took care of their daughter, and even offered business advice now and then. The Ye Group’s current success owed much to her, especially in the crucial early days of capital accumulation.

Ye Wentian enjoyed a reputation as a business prodigy, but he knew better than anyone that Qi Yufei’s contributions were indispensable. Sometimes, the outsider sees more clearly; Qi Yufei, with her detached perspective, often helped Ye Wentian spot opportunities he would have missed.

Neither Ye Wentian nor Qi Yufei ever truly saw Long Fei as just a bodyguard.

After dinner, Qi Yufei brewed a pot of fine pu’er tea for Long Fei before making herself a cup of coffee. Sitting down on the sofa, she began her nightly ritual of reading.

Her reading interests were broad—astronomy, geography, literature, history, art, daily life, all lay within her reach. Long Fei glanced over and saw her engrossed in the Harvard Business Review, and his admiration for her deepened. Clearly, Qi Yufei was no ordinary trophy wife.

She seemed to forget his presence, frowning, smiling, sometimes lost in thought, yet always maintaining that graceful, intellectual composure. It lent the living room a gentle warmth that moved Long Fei, whose own childhood had left him with only a vague notion of home.

If only he could sit with her like this forever—wouldn’t that be a kind of happiness? Long Fei mused.

He had intended to watch the news on TV—he’d once had something of a connection with a Shanghai news anchor, whom he hadn’t seen in over a year and actually missed. But now, he decided to abandon the idea. He didn’t want to spoil the peaceful atmosphere. Besides, the anchor, as beautiful and charming as she was, couldn’t compare to spending time face-to-face with a woman like Qi Yufei. And now, Long Fei could observe her as much as he pleased, estimating her figure, even imagining the style and color of her lingerie at leisure.

Time ticked by. At exactly ten o’clock, Qi Yufei stretched—her nightly reading routine was as punctual as clockwork, just as her cup of coffee ran dry. Lifting her head, she caught sight of Long Fei across from her, chin propped on his hands, gazing at her with obvious infatuation, a string of drool hanging from his lip.

Qi Yufei’s face flushed scarlet, a flicker of anger rising in her chest. Long Fei had only arrived that day, and already he dared to leer at her so brazenly? Was it that she’d been too lenient with him?

“Long Fei, aren’t you going to bed yet?”

Noticing her darkening expression, Long Fei wiped his mouth and rubbed his eyes. They ached—beauty could be hard on the eyes.

“Ah? I wanted to watch the news,” he said casually. God could attest he truly did want to watch the news, though the broadcast had ended hours ago.

“Do you realize what time it is? Go to bed. Enough news for today.” Qi Yufei turned and went into the bathroom. Soon after, the sound of running water filled the air.

Qi Yufei was giving Long Fei a chance to leave. She was a little afraid of him; being alone with him always left her feeling awkward and embarrassed. Worse, she realized she wasn’t as averse to this young man as she was to other men, which was out of character for her. Since her marriage, she had never liked any man other than Ye Wentian.

Of course, Qi Yufei’s somewhat extreme personality hadn’t always been innate. Deep within her, the shadow of a man lingered—someone she’d tried to forget for twenty years but never could. She’d eventually lumped all men into the category of heartless betrayers. But was that man truly a betrayer? Qi Yufei smiled bitterly to herself. How could she accuse him of breaking her heart when she’d never really given it? Had she ever been in his heart at all?

Leaning against the bathroom door, Qi Yufei’s face was grim. After a long time, she drew a deep breath, splashed her face with cold water, and finally stepped out.

As soon as she opened the door, she nearly ran into Long Fei, who almost stumbled. His expression was odd, but he chuckled awkwardly. “Oh, Madam Ye, sorry, sorry.”

Qi Yufei’s face, which had only just returned to normal, flushed red again, this time with real anger. Even if Long Fei did bear a slight resemblance to someone she once knew, he had crossed the line too many times. No amount of self-restraint could keep her from getting angry now.

“Long Fei, what are you doing here?” she stammered, so worked up that she could barely speak.