Chapter Twenty-Three: Turning the Tables (There Will Be Continuous Updates Today)

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"Do you believe," Long Fei lowered his voice and said, "that tomorrow's headlines might just be about us?"

He paused, then added, "Aren't you afraid? I know that every man in Shanghai who's crushing on you or outright pursuing you could form a line from Pudong to Puxi. Don't give up the whole forest for the sake of just one tree—me!"

Yang Danni pouted, feigning annoyance. "What? I think you're the one unwilling to let go. Don't tell me I'm the only woman in your life. You can try that line on that Ye family girl, but don't think you can fool me!"

Long Fei laughed. "You seem to know me pretty well, huh? So, what else do you know? Tell me all about it."

Yang Danni responded triumphantly, "Actually, I don't know that much, but I do know you have a junior female apprentice—her name is Phoenix, isn't it? And I've heard that the Indian woman has a rather unusual relationship with you. As for the others, I don't know their names."

She knew what she knew and said no more, but it was clear that Yang Danni understood Long Fei well—at least when it came to his love life, she was crystal clear.

At the mention of Phoenix, Long Fei's heart suddenly ached inexplicably, and his face darkened. Yang Danni, alarmed, asked nervously, "What's wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?"

"It's nothing. I just suddenly want to go back," Long Fei said, closing his eyes and leaning against the sofa.

"Back where?" Yang Danni blushed.

Long Fei grinned, "Of course, back to the Ye family. What? Are you that impatient? That's hardly something a proper young lady would say!"

"What? Are you doubting me? Fine, just give me your phone number!" Yang Danni felt a twinge of disappointment, but she wasn't about to let Long Fei slip away so easily. If he disappeared again, who knew how long she'd have to wait—a year, maybe several?

Long Fei shook his head. "I don't have a phone right now. I'll give you my number another day when I get one. Don't worry, I'll come find you when I have time. But if I show up at your TV station, don't blame me!"

"As long as you dare to come, I'm not afraid! I'm just worried you won't have the guts," Yang Danni challenged him.

When Ye Qian found Li Yan, the latter was sitting alone, lost in thought.

"The plan is moving up. I need to take him away immediately. Get ready," Ye Qian whispered, her tone tinged with anger.

Li Yan hesitated. "Ye Qian, maybe we shouldn't go through with it. That stuff is really potent. I'm afraid he'll hold a grudge."

Ye Qian stared at Li Yan for a long moment, making the latter uneasy. "Ye Qian, why are you looking at me like that?"

Ye Qian asked cautiously, "I'm not afraid he'll resent me—what about you? Don't tell me you've fallen for him?"

"No, no, of course not! I've only met him for the first time, and besides, he's your guy—I wouldn't dare!" Li Yan blushed, feeling something strange inside.

"Don't talk nonsense! My guy? Anyway, you'd better not fall for him—he's bad news. And you're right, he's our family's bodyguard. Without my permission, nobody's allowed to fall for him!" Ye Qian sounded domineering, and as she glanced at Yang Danni in the distance, a strange pang of jealousy stirred in her heart.

The feeling startled Ye Qian. Could she really be falling for that scoundrel? Impossible. Absolutely not.

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As Ye Qian muttered to herself, Long Fei walked over. Yang Danni didn't follow but sat where she was, watching Long Fei leave.

"Miss Ye, why are you staring off into space? The party's winding down—shall we head back?" Long Fei smiled.

He shot a glance at Li Yan, and Ye Qian quickly said, "What's the rush? I still want to have some fun. Let's wait a bit longer!"

"No way. If you want to play, do it yourself—I won't keep you company. I'll wait in the car for you!" Long Fei wasn't interested in the gathering; such events held no appeal for him. The highlight of the evening was running into Yang Danni. Fingering the keys in his pocket, his expression turned a bit sly as he pondered what kind of night and what approach would make his next encounter with Yang Danni truly unforgettable. Yes, that was a question worth serious consideration.

Ye Qian, anxious, glanced around. "You're supposed to be my bodyguard. If you leave, who's responsible for my safety?"

"Are you kidding? You need protection at an event like this?" Long Fei was exasperated. Something felt off about the girl in front of him. Suddenly, he noticed Li Yan approaching with several glasses of red wine, looking a bit flustered as she shot him a quick glance, then winked at Ye Qian. Long Fei immediately understood—something was up with Li Yan.

"Oh, Ye Qian, are you leaving?" Li Yan forced a smile.

Ye Qian tried to hide her nervousness, grumbling, "Fine, I'll go now. You have no idea how annoying my bodyguard is, always rushing me—he drives me crazy!"

"Well, thank you both for coming to my birthday party tonight. Let's have a toast—please don't refuse!" Li Yan's expression was tense and uneasy.

Ye Qian quickly agreed, "Of course, let's drink!" She reached for her glass. Li Yan naturally took hers, and with only three glasses, the last was clearly for Long Fei.

Long Fei suddenly called out, "Wait!"

The two women jumped, Li Yan nearly dropping her tray.

"Are you crazy? What's wrong?" Ye Qian was so startled she almost leapt from her seat.

"Look—someone's waving at us over there!" Long Fei pointed to the right.

The two women instinctively turned to see Yang Danni waving at Long Fei in the distance.

As the tray lightened briefly before returning to normal, Li Yan thought nothing of it. Long Fei picked up his glass and smiled, "Alright, let's drink up and head out. I'll go first!"

Long Fei downed his wine in one gulp. Ye Qian laughed with satisfaction, while Li Yan looked at Long Fei with a guilty expression. Long Fei, of course, knew exactly what was going on—the wine he'd swapped with Ye Qian must have been tampered with. He wondered what surprise Ye Qian had prepared for him. If it was a laxative, all the better. When the effects hit, should he heroically save her or just leave her to her fate in the car? If he did save her, what position would be most appropriate? Would she be particularly alluring then?

As Ye Qian happily finished her drink, Long Fei's imagination ran wild as usual.

With the wine gone, Long Fei and Ye Qian left together, exchanging a glance in the car before each huffed and turned away. As the car started, Long Fei suddenly put on a worried face and said, "Miss Ye, why did you smile so wickedly just now? Were you plotting against me again?"

"Did I really look that wicked?" Ye Qian's current smile was indeed rather sinister.

"Absolutely," Long Fei replied.

Ye Qian grinned proudly. "That's right! I drugged the wine you drank earlier. Let's see if you can survive this time!" She glared at Long Fei, gritting her teeth.

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"What? Poison? You didn't put arsenic in, did you?" Long Fei continued to play dumb.

If you're going to act, you have to play along.

"Hehe, you've read too many novels. Arsenic? Even if I wanted revenge, do you think I hate you enough to want you dead?" It seemed Ye Qian hadn't lost all conscience.

Long Fei feigned shock and fear. "Then what did you put in?"

"Croton seeds—enough to have you running to the bathroom all night. You must have heard of it, right?" Ye Qian smiled mischievously, like a cat that stole the cream.

Long Fei suddenly turned serious. "Of course I know croton seeds. But you're in trouble now."

"Why am I in trouble?" Ye Qian was puzzled.

Long Fei didn't answer, focusing on driving while glancing at the landscape. There was a patch of woods on the right, a good spot for, well, disposing of waste.

Ye Qian quickly realized what Long Fei meant. Her expression changed drastically as she pointed at him, trembling. "You—you—"

"What? If you guessed right, I swapped the wine with you. This is called karma!" Long Fei chuckled.

"Stop the car! Now!"

"What's the rush? We're not home yet."

"Stop the car! I can't hold it anymore! Damn you, Long Fei! Stop the car, do you hear me?" Ye Qian's voice became urgent.

The car screeched to a halt by the roadside. Ye Qian glanced around—no tissues in the car—but couldn't wait. She jumped out and dashed into the nearby woods. Soon after, Long Fei heard some rather unusual noises.

A long time passed, and Ye Qian still hadn't returned. Long Fei began to worry. It was past ten, and there were few cars here, let alone pedestrians. Was she in trouble—had she fainted from fear?

He called out, but the woods were silent. Growing anxious, he realized if something happened to Ye Qian, he'd have no way to explain to Qi Yufei when he got home. He'd only been on the job as bodyguard for two days—what a disgrace it would be if something went wrong now.

He opened the car door and started calling Ye Qian's name. No answer. He hesitated, wondering whether to venture into the woods, when suddenly he heard Ye Qian scream, then nothing.

Now Long Fei was truly alarmed. In a flash, he leapt into the woods.

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