Chapter 146: Continuing the Strike

Ye Qian could hardly hold back her laughter, rewarding Long Fei with an approving look that only made Bai Yaowu feel even more wretched, his face flushing slightly. In his view, Ye Qian was openly flirting with Long Fei right under his nose. His feelings for Ye Qian were no child's play; in matters of the heart, he shared a certain stubborn streak with Ye Wentian—once he set his sights on someone, he was the type who would never let go, even unto death. Whether the other person loved him or not, he was determined to make her his. He believed that time could change everything, and he was fully prepared to spend his entire life trying to soften Ye Qian's heart, convinced that even if she didn't love him now, she would eventually.

"Alright, I'll definitely visit Tianhai when I have the time. I seem to have a few friends over there anyway. Though, stepping into Brother Long's territory, I can't help feeling a little uneasy, haha. Just joking. It's been a while since I last visited Tianhai; when I'm free, I'll go pay my respects to Uncle Ye and Aunt Qi. Besides, since Xiaoqian is in Tianhai, if I, as her fiancé, don't visit often, I'm afraid Xiaoqian won't be very happy!" Bai Yaowu's words carried a subtle thorn, leaving Long Fei quite depressed.

Just as Long Fei was about to speak, Ye Wenxiang on the bed quickly stepped in to defuse the tension between the two, smiling, "Alright, Mr. Long, Xiaoqian owes you a great deal for taking care of her. Actually, Xiaoqian has grown up so much, yet I, her second uncle, have never even met her. Alas, you can't really blame my elder brother for that."

Long Fei was somewhat surprised that Ye Wenxiang and Ye Wentian's relationship ran this deep. Logically speaking, given the state Ye Wenxiang was in, and the fact that Ye Wentian had never avenged him, he should have harbored deep resentment towards Ye Wentian. He hadn't expected Ye Wenxiang to still be so protective of him.

Long Fei nodded and smiled, "By the way, Uncle Ye, would you mind if I examined you? I know a bit of medicine."

"Is that so? Go ahead and examine me if you wish. But as for a cripple like me, I've long given up hope of ever standing like a normal person again. It doesn't really matter anymore, though. When a person is truly restricted to lying in bed all day, you eventually see through everything. Isn't this kind of life rather pure? No more fighting and killing for worldly matters. Living in this world is truly difficult, you know. Actually, my injury could have been completely cured twenty years ago, but I simply refused to owe anyone a favor, so I turned them down." Ye Wenxiang appeared entirely carefree, showing little concern for his own physical condition.

Long Fei smiled, "I'd still like to take a look." With that, he stepped forward, took hold of one of Ye Wenxiang's outstretched arms, closed his eyes, and silently channeled a stream of internal qi into Ye Wenxiang's body to investigate. After a long while, he finally opened his eyes.

Seeing Long Fei's solemn expression, Ye Wenxiang smiled, "I know my injuries are beyond repair now. It doesn't matter." He was the one comforting Long Fei instead.

Unexpectedly, Long Fei suddenly said, "No, there is still hope for Uncle Ye's injury."

A flash of disdain crossed Bai Yaowu's eyes. He possessed a superficial understanding of medicine and was intimately familiar with the ailments plaguing Ye Wenxiang's body. In his view, Ye Wenxiang's condition could never improve. Just think about it—the meridians had already severely withered, and blood circulation had essentially ceased; how could such a body ever recover? Therefore, he assumed Long Fei was simply talking nonsense to deceive them. However, he had no intention of exposing Long Fei immediately; he eagerly wanted to see how Long Fei would back down when he ultimately failed to cure him.

Twenty years ago, Ye Wenxiang had rejected someone else's treatment, originally believing that the world was vast and filled with eccentric talents and miraculous doctors, and that sooner or later, he would cross paths with someone capable of healing him. Never did he expect that twenty years would pass with his luck failing to improve—not only did he fail to meet any miraculous healers, but he wasted time on numerous quacks, eventually causing him to completely give up hope on his own body.

Yet, as a normal human being, hearing Long Fei's words and claiming that not a single ripple of hope stirred within his heart would be an absolute lie. He immediately asked with a hint of astonishment, "Mr. Long, you aren't joking with me, are you?"

Naturally, Ye Wenxiang did not display excessive excitement.

Long Fei pondered for a moment, nodded, and smiled, "That's right. Although I cannot cure you at present, I have a friend who can definitely heal your condition. Naturally, as you well know, your meridians have long withered severely, and trying to restore them won't be an easy task. It will likely be a gradual process. Even if you are eventually cured, you probably won't return to the peak physical state you enjoyed in your youth, and you must mentally prepare yourself for that. However, as long as you avoid physical brawls or exceptionally strenuous exercise, you will be no different from a normal person. Going out for walks, climbing mountains, and strolling around will pose absolutely no problem at all."

Ye Wenxiang smiled, "If I can really reach that stage, I wouldn't ask for anything more. I'm already in my forties; I'm no longer like my younger self, fond of bravery and fierce competition. I've grown old. Alas, I never imagined that a momentary impulse back then would lead me to this wretched state. Still, I don't harbor many regrets."

"Second Uncle, don't worry. Long Fei's medical skills are extraordinary; if he says he can do it, he definitely can." Seeing the trace of disdain lingering in Bai Yaowu's eyes, Ye Qian hurriedly spoke up in Long Fei's defense. In truth, this was precisely what she believed, because she herself was living proof. Following a course of traditional Chinese medical treatment by Long Fei, she had been secretly measuring her bust size at any given moment. She was the one most acutely aware of whether it worked or not. However, she had deliberately kept it a secret from Long Fei, wanting her breasts to gradually grow so that she could let him notice it himself later—that would be a true and delightful surprise.

Bai Yaowu glanced at Long Fei with a look of hidden hostility, then quickly plastered on a smile when he looked at Ye Qian. "Long Fei also admitted that he can't do it himself. Whether his friend is actually capable remains to be seen only after we meet them, right, Long Fei?"

Long Fei smiled, "That goes without saying. I'm merely speculating, haha. But Brother Bai surely hopes Uncle Ye gets better too, right?"

"Of course! Naturally, I hope Uncle Ye recovers as soon as possible. That's what all of us juniors wish for," Bai Yaowu forced a smile and replied.

"Then let's wait until your friend arrives before discussing this further. Long Fei, thank you for coming to visit me." Ye Wenxiang's heart was no longer as elated as it had been moments before; after all, Long Fei had mentioned that whether he could be cured depended entirely on the arrival of his friend. Long Fei's individual word wasn't enough to seal the deal.

Naturally aware of what was going on in Ye Wenxiang's mind, Long Fei didn't point it out. He smiled and said, "Uncle Ye, I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now and not disturb your rest any longer. I wish you a speedy recovery. I will contact my friend, and I believe we'll have news soon. When that time comes, I'll pay another formal visit and bring my friend along to examine you."

Unable to sit up, Ye Wenxiang could only nod slightly and smiled, "Take care on your way out, then; I won't see you off. Drop by for a chat whenever you have free time. For some strange reason, the moment I saw you, you looked vaguely familiar, though I can't quite recall where we've met. It seems we are destined to cross paths."

Seeing that Long Fei was leaving, Ye Qian also stood up to bid farewell. "Second Uncle, get some rest. I'll be leaving now as well."

"You aren't staying at home, Xiaoqian? No matter what, you are my eldest brother's daughter. Even though I've never laid eyes on you before, you are still my flesh and blood. Now that you've returned home, why aren't you staying here?" Ye Wenxiang grew anxious the moment he heard Ye Qian was leaving too.

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Ye Qian said with a troubled expression, "Second Uncle, please don't worry. I'll be staying in Yanjing for a few days, and I'll come visit you whenever I have time. You must take good care of yourself."

In truth, Ye Qian felt very little emotional attachment to the members of the Ye family. This sudden influx of family members made it genuinely difficult for her to adapt overnight, especially since the family patriarch seemed entirely indifferent towards her warmth, making her wish she didn't have to spend even a single second longer in the Ye household. On the other hand, she felt a genuine sense of closeness toward this paralyzed second uncle of hers, perhaps deeply moved by the sincere bond of brotherhood between Wenxiang and Ye Wentian.

Seeing Ye Qian leave, Bai Yaowu hastily excused himself and followed her out. As they headed toward the living room, he turned to Ye Qian with a smile and said, "Xiaoqian, are you coming to my place? Everyone in my family talks about you all the time."

Ye Qian had been itching to unleash her anger on Bai Yaowu while inside, but Ye Wenxiang hadn't given her the chance. Now, turning her head with a chillingly cold expression, she asked, "Why on earth should I go to your house? What relation are you to me?"

"I'm your fiancé, of course! Have you forgotten? Back when we were children, you promised to grow up and marry me as my bride. Moreover, our marriage was long ago arranged by our parents. My mom and dad even mentioned that they'll be heading to Tianhai in a few days to visit you and discuss with Uncle Ye and Aunt Qi about setting a date to finalize our affairs." Whether Bai Yaowu was trying to remind Ye Qian or deliberately putting on a show of dominance for Long Fei's benefit, he smiled somewhat cheerfully, though Long Fei could easily detect a trace of underlying anxiety deep within his eyes.

To Long Fei's absolute surprise, Ye Qian didn't get angry at all. Instead, she grabbed Long Fei's arm and beamed, "Then I can only offer my deepest apologies! I was just a child back then and knew nothing; even if I made such a promise, it doesn't count anymore. Besides, I don't even remember ever saying those words. But I can clearly state this to you right now: I will never marry you, because I already have a boyfriend. And he's right here."

Bai Yaowu's expression instantly darkened into something grim and unsightly. He had exercised immense restraint for a long time, maintaining a polite facade and speaking gently to Ye Qian simply because he genuinely loved her. Yet, blow after blow of rejection and disappointment from Ye Qian had worn him down. Having lived this long, Bai Yaowu had never suffered such humiliation and grievance. What infuriated him even more was that Long Fei was standing there with a smug grin, one arm already brazenly slung around Ye Qian's slender waist, an act that nearly drove him to vomit blood.

*I'm going to piss you off to death, you bastard, haha.*

Long Fei was laughing heartily inside. Ye Qian's performance today had thoroughly satisfied him. Far from feeling like an interloper, he treated Bai Yaowu strictly as a rival trying to poach his territory, and naturally spared no effort in tearing him down.

"You must be joking, Xiaoqian. Stop playing with me by saying these petty, angry words. I know very well that he's merely your bodyguard. Even if you want to provoke me, you don't need to pull in a bodyguard to play the role, right? Fine, fine, I won't pressure you further. Grandpa's seventieth birthday is coming up in two days; you must definitely attend then. I'll take my leave for today." After his face flickered through shades of blue and red, Bai Yaowu remarkably managed to swallow his rage entirely, showing no outward signs of a temper nor resorting to shamelessly pestering Ye Qian. With just a few smiling parting words, he genuinely turned and walked away.

Ye Qian agreed readily. Seeing that Bai Yaowu had already stepped ahead into the living room, a wicked little smile played across her lips as she whispered to Long Fei, "Darling, let's figure out a way to humiliate him all over again at Grandpa's birthday banquet, shall we?"

"Is humiliating people really that fun?" Long Fei curled his lips, though deep down, he secretly felt that humiliating people was indeed quite exhilarating.

"Pfft, I'm doing this all for your sake, you know! Look, for your sake, I've even broken off an engagement. You're not allowed to abandon me now, understand?" At that moment, Ye Qian deliberately put on an intensely coquettish tone, sending a shiver down Long Fei's spine that nearly broke him out in cold sweat.

Nodding hastily, Long Fei agreed without hesitation, "Alright, alright! I'll take responsibility, I'll take responsibility, okay? As long as you don't mess up my plans, whatever you say goes. Let's go—you clearly have no reason to linger in this Ye household anyway. You might as well come with me; I'll take you out to have some fun at the Chang'an Club tonight."

Ye Qian nodded excitedly, her previous displeasure seemingly vanishing like smoke in the wind. Long Fei felt somewhat comforted; watching Ye Qian unhappy always left him feeling a bit heavy-hearted. In his eyes, the old patriarch of the Ye family truly treated Ye Qian with an excessive degree of cold detachment. Furthermore, that old man seemed to harbor an ingrained aversion towards women ever since the incident twenty years ago. As he thought about this, things began to click into place—no wonder he hadn't spotted a single female face the moment they stepped through the front door. It was an entire house full of grown men! What on earth was going through that old man's head? If he were forced to live in a house populated entirely by men, he wouldn't last a single day. People always said a household needed a man to ward off evil spirits, but surely a woman worked just as well? Without women, could a house even be called a home?

Inside the living room, Bai Yaowu was engaged in a lively and pleasant conversation with the patriarch. However, the moment Long Fei and Ye Qian walked in, the old man's expression cooled noticeably. Unfazed, Long Fei smiled and said, "Patriarch, we'll be taking our leave now. We'll come visit you again when we have time."

The old man simply nodded and uttered a cold acknowledgement.

Long Fei nudged Ye Qian with his elbow, hinting that she should at least address the man properly before leaving.

Lowering her voice, Ye Qian muttered, "Grandpa, I'm leaving."

"Aren't you staying for Yaowu's grandfather's birthday banquet? Are you not going to stay here these next few days?" There was not a shred of reluctance or warmth in the patriarch's voice, nor did he even bother to glance properly in Ye Qian's direction.

Ye Qian replied, "No, I'll be staying out with Long Fei."

"Very well then," the old man answered with surprising finality, completely oblivious to the sudden flash of anxiety in Bai Yaowu's eyes.

"Then I shall take my leave as well, Grandpa." Bai Yaowu seemed suddenly pressed for time.

"Alright. Drop by and visit our house more often when you have free time. The Ye family doesn't have many friends left in Yanjing these days; I keep it in mind that you're one of the few who still visits frequently," the old man smiled.

Bai Yaowu smiled back. "Grandpa, what are you saying? The Ye family's standing in Yanjing can never be shaken by anyone. As long as the Bai family exists, we will never allow anyone to touch the Ye family."

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The old man let out a long sigh. "Very well, off you go."

Watching Bai Yaowu depart in a hurry, the old man shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Wentian, oh Wentian, just when will you ever allow our Ye family to stand proudly on our feet once more?"

Outside the villa, Mo Er was already waiting by the car for the two of them. Casting an apologetic look at Ye Qian, he asked, "Miss, where are you planning to stay for now? Let me drive you there."

Ye Qian replied indifferently, "There's no need. We can just hail a cab outside."

"Indeed, we can also take a leisurely stroll as we head out. We appreciate your kind intentions though, Brother Mo," Long Fei smiled.

"Mr. Long, I sincerely apologize. I honestly didn't expect the old master to remain this stubborn. Alas," Mo Er looked at Long Fei with a face full of regret.

"Alright, Uncle Mo Er, I can understand your feelings. But elderly folks inevitably develop strange stubborn streaks or find it hard to let go of past grievances. It's fine; no one lives forever, haha. I assume your Ye family is still ultimately run by Ye Qian's father, right? You can pass along a message to the patriarch on this matter: if anyone dares to bully Ye Qian, not only will I refuse to let it slide, but her father will likely be the very first to tear them apart—no matter who they are." After delivering these words with a mixture of jest and seriousness, Long Fei grabbed Ye Qian and led her toward the gates of the residential compound, leaving Mo Er standing frozen in awkward silence.

As the two stood by the roadside waiting to hail a taxi, a Mercedes-Benz pulled up beside them. Bai Yaowu rolled down the window and smiled, "If you two haven't secured a place to stay yet, you're welcome to consider staying at my house. Our place has plenty of space anyway, and it's right in the neighborhood just ahead—only a short walk away."

"No thanks, we'll stay at a hotel; it's quite convenient," Long Fei chuckled.

Bai Yaowu desperately wanted to wipe that smirking expression off Long Fei's face with his fists, but he forced it down and kept smiling. "Shall I give you a ride then? I'm free anyway. Which hotel are you planning to check into?"

Long Fei laughed, "That won't be necessary either. I find hailing a taxi rather convenient. Oh, we're planning to head to the Beijing Hotel so we can hit up the Chang'an Club tonight. I hear Brother Bai is a regular guest there; who knows, we might even run into each other again tonight."

"Is that so? Then I shall await your honorable presence. However, if you happen to lack a membership card, getting past the entrance might prove a bit difficult. No worries, though—just drop my name when you get there, and I'll notify the front desk in advance," Bai Yaowu said with a smile.

"Splendid! If we can't get in by ourselves, we'll definitely drop your name then," Long Fei replied with an ambiguous grin, pulling Ye Qian's waist even closer.

*Show-off piece of trash. I'm doing this precisely to drive you mad. Let's see how long you can keep up the act before leaving.*

True to form, a frustrated Bai Yaowu drove away in a huff, prompting Long Fei to immediately release his grip on Ye Qian's slender waist. The latter immediately let out a disappointed whimper, "Darling, why'd you let go?"

"There are too many people on the street; it's a bit embarrassing and awkward, haha," Long Fei chuckled. Truth be told, he still wasn't quite used to being so physically intimate with Ye Qian, especially given the fierce, aggressive image she projected in his mind and her endless bag of tricks for tormenting people, which had left a deeply ingrained impression on him.

"Then why were you acting all cozy just a second ago?" Ye Qian pouted petulantly.

Long Fei laughed sheepishly, "Well, that... that was purely to chase away that guy trying to poach my territory! Damn it, acting like he's all high and mighty. I'm not even from Yanjing; why should I give him any face? Forget about him; even if a genuine crown prince showed up, I'd still piss him off just the same."

"Poach your territory? Haha, so you really do view me as your woman then? I love hearing you say that." Ye Qian lunged forward to press against him again, startling Long Fei into leaping aside.

"What do you mean by that?" Ye Qian glared at him playfully.

Long Fei stammered defensively, "I didn't mean anything by it! Don't misunderstand. I merely misspoke just now. What I meant was that you are under my protection, and since you dislike those guys, I can't allow them to pressure you. Protecting you falls squarely within the scope of my duties as a bodyguard."

Furious, Ye Qian snapped, "Refuse to admit it all you want! By your own logic, if I fail to marry anyone because of this, you'll still be responsible for solving my personal problems. What I mean to say is—you're going to have to marry me."

With a lecherous grin, Long Fei chuckled, "Helping solve your physical needs is totally fine, but marrying you? Now that requires some serious, long-term deliberation, haha."